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VISITOR'S  GUIDE 


AND  HISTORY  OF 


5AN  ANTONIO,  TEXA5 


From  the  Foundation  (1689) 
to  the  Present  Time  with 


The  5tory  of  the  Alamo 


BY 
CHA5.  M.  BARNES 

Fourth  Edition — Revised  and  Enlarged 


Published  By 

NIC  TLNGG 
Bookseller  and  Stationer 

Commercial  Printing 

220  W.  COMMERCE  ST.  SAN  ANTONIO,  TEXAS 

[Copyright  1913] 


Copyright  1913  by 

NIC  TLNGG 
San  Antonio,  Texas 


r-snr 

I  ACADEMY 

I  PACIFIC   CC 
/          HISTOFT 


PREFACE. 

Realizing  that  previous  publications  on  the  subjects 
treated  herein  have  not  been  as  complete  as  they 
should  have  been,  and  that  there  is  a  great  demand 
for  such  work  as  is  here  presented  for  the  perusal 
of  the  thousands  who  visit  this  city  each  season, 
this  work  is  respectfully  submitted  by 

THE  AUTHOR  AND  THE  PUBLISHER. 


Grand  Old  5an  Antonio 


Character  of  the  people,  social 
life,  numerous  clubs  and  soci- 
eties, past  greatness  and  great- 
er future,  premier  health  resort, 
scholastic  advantages,  all  the 
churches,  amusements,  sports, 
newspapers,  Military  Head- 
quarters of  Department  of  Tex- 
as, Commercialiand  Manufac- 
turing Notes,  Etc. 


GREAT  CITY  OF  THE  5OUTH 


GRAND  OLD  SAN  ANTONIO 


EDUCTIVE,  charming,  ever  old  but  always 
new,  progressive,  enterprising,  prosperous, 
and  presenting  many  opportunities  for  suc- 
cessful human  endeavor,  San  Antonio,  the  city  of 
greatest  historic  import  of  any  in  the  Union,  termed 
the  "Sunset  City"  on  account  of  the  golden  splendor 
of  her  skies  and  climate,  is  probably  the  most  inter- 
esting of  all  of  the  Southern  Cities  on  the  North 
American  Continent. 

Located  in  a  zone  where  the  temperature  and  genial 
climate  bears  favorable  comparison  with  that  of  any 
part  of  the  world  and  surpasses  that  of  any  other  city 
in  the  South,  she  has  many  other  attractions  which 
cause  countless  thousands  to  visit  her  and  see  her 
quaint  and  compelling  attractions  and  enjoy  them. 

METROPOLIS  OF  THE  STATE. 

Her's  is  a  cosmopolitan  population,  where  fraternize 
the  men  and  women  of  all  of  the  world's  nations,  where 
all  of  the  different  tongues  utter  all  of  the  language 
spoken  on  both  hemispheres.  The  costumes  and  cus- 
toms are  as  quaint  and  unique  as  are  to  be  seen  in  any 
other  city  on  the  ''"footstool."  The  architecture  is 
composite,  blending  the  ancient  and  modern  in  strong 
and  admirable  contrast.  Her  populace  exceeds  in 
number  that  of  any  other  city  in  the  expansive  State 
of  which  she  is  the  greatest  metropolis.  There  are 
now  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  people 
residing  permanently  in  the  corporate  limits  of  San 
Antonio,  in  addition  to  the  many  thousands  in  her 
thickly  populated  suburbs. 


HER  AREA. 

The  city  limits,  as  defined  by  charter,  is  thirty-six 
square  miles  in  extent.  This  space  is  embraced  in  a 
circle  whose  diameter  is  six  miles.  Its  center  is  at 
the  old  San  Fernando  Cathedral,  one  of  the  interesting 
and  historic  buildings,  whose  twin  towers  and  moresque 
cupola  are  conspicuous  and  noteworthy  objects.  Be- 
yond the  corporate  confines  are  many  spacious  sub- 
divisions containing  additional  population  enhancing 
the  total  so  as  to  place  the  number  of  inhabitants  far 
in  excess  of  that  of  any  other  city  in  the  Lone  Star 
State. 

Situated  in  a  fertile  and  verdant  valley,  watered  by 
two  splendid  streams  finding  their  source,  one  just 
beyond  and  the  other  just  inside  of,  the  city  limits, 
her  location  is  ideal.  The  streets  in  the  city  and  sub- 
divisions exceed  a  thousand  miles  of  highway,  much 
of  it  in  excellent  condition.  She  has  more  than  one 
hundred  miles  of  paved  and  macadam  streets  and  more 
are  being  added.  These  are  in  most  cases  flanked 
by  splendid  sidewalks  of  concrete,  and  others  are  being 
laid  in  remote  as  well  as  central  portions  of  the  city. 

HER  ELEVATION. 

Ranging  from  over  six  hundred  to  nearly  eight  hun- 
dred feet  above  sea  level,  the  lowest  in  the  valley  and 
the  highest  the  summit  of  the  hills,  her  altitude  is  suf- 
ficient to  make  her  atmosphere  pure  and  free  from 
the  humidity  consequent  upon  lower  levels  and  without 
the  disadvantage  incident  to  very  high  altitudes.  This 
elevation  is  deemed  and  has  been  proven  to  be,  the 
very  best  for  good  health,  the  air  being  perfectly  pure 
and  free  from  any  contamination  rendering  her  im- 
mune from  any  epidemic,  unless  imported  disease  of 
extraordinary  character. 

Her  people  are  cleanly  and  keep  their  city  so.  Her 
health  authorities  are  efficient  and  vigilant,  always 
using  efficient  preventive  sanitary  measures. 

-12— 


Her  salubrious  climate  restores  to  health  those  af- 
flicted with  any  malady  when  not  in  the  last  extrem- 
ity of  some  incurable  one. 

HER  WATER. 

San  Antonio  extracts  her  public  water  supply  from 
several  hundred  artesian  wells  having  depths  ranging 
from  six  hundred  to  over  two  thousand  feet.  The 
water  is  the  purest  of  any  to  be  found  anywhere.  Most 
of  it  is  cold  and  free  from  mineral  except  lime,  a  great 
health-giving  element.  The  others  are  mineral  and 
thermal  wells  located  at  various  places  in  and  near 
the  city.  These  latter  are  as  efficient  as  the  hot 
waters  at  Hot  Springs  or  elsewhere,  in  curing  any 
skin,  blood,  or  other  malady  benefitted  by  thermal 
immersion.  The  temperature  of  the  mineral  waters 
range  from  98  to  106  degrees  Fahrenheit.  Most  not- 
able of  the  thermal  wells  are  those  at  Terrell's  San 
Jose  addition,  Dullnig's  Ranch,  Steve's  and  the 
Southwestern  Asylum,  from  which  latter  the  "Hot 
Wells"  derives  it's  supply.  The  thermal  water  is  im- 
pregnated strongly  with  sulphur  and  is  tinctured  with 
other  medicinal  minerals.  Thousands  of  patients  af- 
flicted with  rheumatism  and  other  diseases  come  to 
San  Antonio  and  are  cured  by  these  mineral  waters 
and  remain  permanently  cured. 

Low  DEATH  RATE. 

Notwithstanding  the  large  number  of  persons  com- 
ing too  late  to  be  cured  of  diseases  with  which  they 
are  afflicted,  the  death  rate  of  San  Antonio  is  excep- 
tionally low,  being  less  than  any  other  city  of  her  size 
in  the  Union.  She  has  many  able,  learned  and  scien- 
tific physicians  and  surgeons  who  cope  successfully 
with  all  of  the  diseases  and  affliction  they  are  con- 
fronted with,  brought  to  them  by  people  coming  to 
this  Mecca  of  Health  and  security  against  sickness. 

—13— 


PUBLIC  PARKS. 

No  city  in  the  world  has  as  many  public  parks  and 
breathing  places  as  San  Antonio.  These  range  in 
size  from  small  spaces  of  triangular  and  quadrangular 
shapes,  whose  sides  are  less  than  fifty  feet  in  length, 
to  immense  forests  whose  boundaries  contain  miles 
of  area.  All  of  the  parks  are  beautiful  and  admirably 
kept.  Three  of  them,  the  Brackenridge,  San  Pedro, 
and  Mahncke,  are  the  most  spacious,  containing  im- 
mense trees  of  great  age  and  beauty,  many  fine  plants, 
shrubbery  and  flowers.  In  Brackenridge  Park  there 
is  a  small  herd  of  buffalo,  among  the  last  of  their 
race,  a  considerable  number  of  elk,  and  a  greater  num- 
ber of  deer,  all  roaming  unconfined  except  for  the  en- 
closure barriers.  There  are  also  numerous  acquatic 
birds  in  this  park,  among  them  swans,  geese  and  ducks, 
and  a  very  large  number  of  peacocks  of  magnificent 
plumage.  There  are  about  forty  parks,  all  told. 

In  San  Pedro  Park  there  are  also  numerous  speci- 
mens of  waterfowl,  as  well  as  fish  of  many  varieties. 
Waterfowl  which  have  been  domesticated,  abound  at 
West  End  Lake,  the  largest  sheet  of  water  near  the 
city,  although  Mitchell's  Lake,  eleven  miles  south,  is 
much  larger  and  is  filled  most  of  the  year  with  wild 
waterfowls,  principally  ducks,  geese  and  cranes.  Game 
of  the  bird  and  mammal  varieties  are  to  be  found  in 
considerable  quantities  within  short  distances  from  the 
city.  During  the  hunting  seasons,  much  successful 
sport  is  enjoyed  by  the  hunters  and  fishermen,  the 
streams  and  lakes  being  well  stocked  with  fish. 

The  principal  plazas  or  public  squares  of  the  city 
are  parked  and  planted  with  a  profusion  of  flowers, 
shrubs  and  trees.  Palms,  graceful  and  symetrical, 
sway  in  unison  with  the  balmy  breezes  wafted  over 
the  city,  while  the  fragrance  of  the  roses,  violets  and 
other  sweeted  bloom,  permeates  the  air  and  is  enjoyed 
by  all  passing  through  or  near  these  parks.  Among 
the  plaza  parks  are  those  in  Alamo,  Camden,  Madison, 


Franklin,  Main,  Military,  Paschal,  Milam,  Maverick, 
Travis,  Washington  and  other  plazas  or  public  squares. 
One  of  San  Antonio's  greatest  charms  is  her  parks. 
They  compare  in  point  of  size  and  beauty  favorably 
with  the  parks  of  New  York,  Washington  City  or  any 
other  city  in  the  United  States,  unless  it  be  the  Golden 
Gate  Park  of  San  Francisco,  which  is  larger  and  has 
more  trees  and  flowers  in  it  than  any  other. 

Some  of  these  parks  are  amusement  resorts,  among 
these  being  Electric,  Exposition,  Madarasz  and  others 
where  all  of  the  latest  devices  for  outdoor  amusement 
are  to  be  found.  San  Antonio  also  has  several  fine 
baseball  parks,  two  of  them  being  used  for  professional 
and  league  team  games.  She  also  boasts  a  park  known 
as  "The  Ostrich  Farm/'  where  these  mammoth  birds 
are  on  exhibition. 

PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  STRUCTURES. 

Many  lofty  and  spacious  buildings  are  to  be  found, 
some  of  them  coming  under  the  category  of  "sky 
scrapers,"  being  many  stories  high.  Principal  among 
these  are  the  office  buildings,  the  Bedell,  the  Moore, 
Hicks,  Gunter,  Gibbs,  Swearingen,  Prudential  Insur- 
ance, Frost  and  others,  while  among  the  mercantile 
structures  of  immense  height  and  size  are  the  Stowers, 
Rand,  Gunter  Hotel,  St.  Anthony  Hotel,  Joske,  Menger 
Hotel,  St.  James  Hotel  and  others. 

HOTELS  AND  APARTMENTS. 

This  city  contains  many  immense  and  comfortable 
hotel  structures  and  buildings  for  boarding  houses, 
apartments  and  flats.  Most  prominent  of  these  are 
the  Gunter,  which  is  the  largest,  the  St.  Anthony,  sec- 
ond in  size,  the  Menger,  St.  James,  Bexar,  Maverick, 
Angelus,  Crockett,  Travis,  Southern,  Maverick,  Alamo, 
Savoy  hotels,  Terrell,  Yale,  Columbia,  American, 
Hutchins,  Presnal  and  other  flats  and  apartments  as 
well  as  innumerable  boarding,  lodging  and  rooming 
houses. 

—15— 


Many  of  the  large  club  house  buildings  also  rent 
apartments  to  members  and  others,  among  them  being 
the  San  Antonio,  Travis,  and  others. 

There  are  many  social  organizations  which  own 
either  spacious,  handsome,  or  venerable  and  comforta- 
ble buildings,  among  these  being  the  Elks,  Hermann 
Sons,  Casino,  Odd  Fellows,  Masons,  Turners,  and  oth- 
ers, while  a  number  of  others  rent  fine  structures 
which  they  have  fitted  up  admirably,  among  these 
being  the  Eagles,  Moose,  Owls,  Catholic  Knights  of 
Columbus,  Beavers,  Red  Men,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
Woodmen  of  the  World,  Modern  Woodmen  and  others. 

Among  the  most  handsome  of  the  public  buildings 
are  the  Court  House,  on  Main,  the  City  Hall,  on  Mili- 
tary Plaza,  the  City  Market  House  and  Auditorium, 
on  Paschal  and  Milam  Plazas,  and  the  Federal  building 
on  Alamo  Plaza,  Avenues  D  and  E.  The  Court  House, 
which  is  red  sand  stone,  is  of  commanding  appearance, 
the  City  Hall  is  of  soft  white  limestone,  is  attractive, 
standing  in  the  center  of  the  plaza,  while  the  Federal 
building,  which  is  a  replica  of  an  old  Rhenish  castle 
and  also  built  of  limestone,  is  symmetrical  and  im- 
posing. 

Two  of  the  railway  depots,  the  Union,  or  Southern 
Pacific  and  M.  K.  &  T.  railway,  and  the  International 
&  Great  Northern  Railway  stations,  are  large  and 
handsome  edifices. 

GRANDEUR  OP  BY-GONE  DAYS. 

Although  San  Antonio  is  proud  of  present  prestige 
and  probably  destined  to  become  a  greater  city  than 
she  is  today,  she  possesses  the  charm  of  past  glorious 
grandeur  that  no  other  city  in  the  world  can  hold  com- 
parison to.  There  is  no  spot  on  earth  where  there  are 
more  objects  of  historic  merit  and  none  comparable 
to  those  she  possesses  in  point  of  chivalric  luster  and 
sublimity.  One  spot  alone  holds  the  distinction  of 
being  the  place  where  the  sublimest  spectacles  of  valor 

—16— 


ever  enacted  were  given  as  examples  to  all  posterity. 
Others  are  almost  as  memorable.  All  of  them  are 
well  worthy  of  admiration  and  preservation. 

All  of  them  deserve  perpetuation  as  monuments  to 
those  who  bought  civilization  and  maintained  it  with 
their  blood,  but  most  conspicuous  of  them  all  is  what 
is  best  known  as  the  Alamo,  but  which  was  the  old 
Franciscan  Mission  of  San  Antonio  de  Valero,  named 
jointly  for  the  Franciscan  Friars  who  founded  it 
and  for  the  Spanish  Viceroy,  the  Duke  de  Valero. 
This  was  a  group  of  buildings,  some  of  them  still  stand- 
ing on  what  is  known  as  Alamo  Plaza,  the  name  Alamo 
being  derived  from  the  Alamos,  or  cottonwood  trees 
that  grew  near  by. 

ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  BLEND. 

Among  the  quaint  characteristics  of  this  city  is  the 
blending  of  the  ancient  with  the  modern.  The  archi- 
tecture of  composite  character,  comports  with  the  cos- 
mopolitan population.  Some  of  the  buildings,  San  Fer- 
nando Cathedral,  for  instance,  a  portion  of  which  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  the  '60's  of  the  last  century,  pre- 
sents this  spectacle,  one  portion  being  of  very  mod- 
ern architecture,  while  the  other  is  that  of  the  Mor- 
esque. Other  buildings,  both  public  and  private,  pre- 
sent similar  characteristics,  while  edifices  of  most  mod- 
ern architecture  adjoin  those  of  very  ancient  construc- 
tion and  style.  Perhaps  no  other  city  in  the  South, 
unless  it  be  New  Orleans,  possesses  this  peculiarity. 
The  contrast  in  these  different  styles  of  architecture 
serves  to  emphasize  and  if  anything,  enhance  the 
beauty  of  the  ancient  which  are  not  the  loftiest,  but 
the  most  massive  and  durable,  most  of  them  having 
withstood  the  storms  of  several  centuries  and  ready 
if  not  replaced  with  cheaper  and  more  fragile  ones,  to 
withstand  those  of  future  ages. 
While  the  architecture  is  interesting  and  quaint,  the 
populace  is  still  more  so.  The  Aborigines  having 

-17- 


either  been  succeeded  or  absorbed  by  the  Latin  races 
early  in  the  history  of  the  place,  it  is  natural  to  expect 
the  Spanish  and  French  would  form  the  principal  ele- 
ment of  the  population,  and  it  is  true  that  those  who 
speak  the  Castillian  tongue  do  exceed  in  number  other 
inhabitants,  but  those  speaking  it  are  not  the  Spanish, 
but  the  Mexican  race,  who  predominate,  and  the  mem- 
bers of  it  are  descended  principally  from  the  Indians 
of  Mexico  or  Texas.  Just  now,  San  Antonio,  being  a 
refuge  for  many  thousands  of  political  exiles  from  the 
Republic  of  Mexico,  has  a  much  greater  proportion  of 
that  element  of  population  than  ever,  but  under  ordi- 
nary circumstances  the  Mexican  predominates.  But 
the  tongues  of  almost  all  of  the  nations  of  earth  may 
be  heard  upon  her  streets,  in  her  markets  and  plazas 
for  the  city  is  full  of  foreigners  from  everywhere  on 
the  "footstool."  The  costumes  are  as  various  as  the 
tongues  spoken  and  as  kaleidoscopic  as  they  are  pictur- 
esque. This  is  another  charm  not  visible  in  any  other 
Southern  city  of  the  United  States  except  New  Orleans. 

Caste  is  also  sharply  defined  in  several  nationalities 
and  racial  distinctions  always  closely  drawn,  between 
the  Caucasian  and  the  African. 

Among  the  Mexicans  there  are  two  well-defined 
castes,  the  Hidalgos,  or  Caballeros,  which  is  the  patri- 
cian, and  the  peon,  or  laboring  class.  The  former 
always  is  educated  and  refined  and  generally  wealthy, 
while  the  latter  is  ignorant  and  always  poor  and  often 
dissolute,  but  always  polite  and  obliging. 

SPORTS  AND  PASTIMES. 

The  present  pastimes  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico  were 
those  which  obtained  in  San  Antonio  up  to  less  than 
half  a  century  ago,  and  some  of  them  are  still  surrep- 
titiously practiced.  Bull  fighting  was  formerly  the 
great  sport  of  the  populace,  but  was  suppressed  in 
the  early  seventies  of  the  last  century.  Cock  fighting 
was  then,  as  before,  one  of  the  main  attractions  and 
brutal  spectacles  of  this  barbarous  pitting  of  fowls 

—18— 


against  each  other  in  deadly  combat  was  to  be  wit- 
nessed in  public  on  several  of  the  days  of  the  week, 
until  prohibited  by  statute  and  the  statute,  to  some  ex- 
tent, enforced.  Even  now  it  is  practiced  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent  in  the  strictly  Mexican  quarter  of  the  city, 
and  can  be  and  is  witnessed  by  those  interested  in  such 
shocking  spectacles. 


CELEBRATIONS. 

Celebrations  of  American  historic  and  patriotic  ap- 
niversaries  by  Americans  in  San  Antonio  are  usually 
more  honored  in  the  breach  than  in  the  observance,  and 
when  such  anniversaries  are  commemorated,  they  are 
observed  by  foreigners  who  have  been  naturalized.  In 
the  days  when  the  old  volunteer  fire  department  ex- 
isted and  flourished,  its  members,  principally  Germans, 
always  observed  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  Wash- 
ington. The  Fourth  of  July  is  sometimes,  but  not 
regularly,  celebrated  by  the  Americans.  Texans  have 
memorial  exercises  at  the  grave  of  Ben  R.  Milam  on 
the  anniversary  of  the  fall  of  the  Alamo,  but  the  Mexi- 
can and  the  Negro  elements  of  the  populace  invariably 
celebrate,  the  former  the  anniversary  of  Mexican  inde- 
pendence from  Spain:  "El  Diez  y  seis  de  Septiembre, 
and  "El  Cinco  de  Mayo,"  the  vanquishing  of  Maximill- 
ian,  while  the  Negroes  celebrate  the  19th  of  June, 
which  is  the  anniversary  of  the  manumission  of  the 
slaves  by  Lincoln's  proclamation,  both  the  Mexican  and 
the  Negro  celebrations  having  pageantry  of  creditable 
character  connected  with  them. 

But  possibly  the  greatest  of  the  celebrations  in  San 
Antonio  is  that  of  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  San 
Jacinto,  on  April  21,  or  at  least,  it  was  formerly  cele- 
brated on  that  day,  but  since  the  celebration  has  de- 
veloped into  a  season  of  spring  festivity  lasting  for 
six  days  and  concluding,  regardless  of  date,  with  the 
feature  of  the  celebration  formerly  allotted  to  the  San 

—19— 


Jacinfo  anniversary  and  known  as  the  "Bajttl©  of 
Flowers."  This  celebration  will  be  alluded  to  in  an- 
other part  of  this  guide. 

SAN  ANTONIO  is  ORDERLY. 

Notwithstanding  the  cosmopolitan  character  of  her 
populace,  San  Antonio,  for  her  size,  is  an  extraordi- 
narily orderly  place.  Although  several  hundred  sa- 
loons exist  and  flourish,  drunkenness  is  seldom  seen 
among  the  pedestrians  on  the  streets,  and  crime  is  not 
often  encountered  by  the  authorities.  The  laws  are 
enforced,  all  elements  of  the  population  seem  industri- 
ous, although,  as  everywhere,  there  are  some  idle  and 
dissolute  characters  with  whom  the  police  have  to 
deal  and  do  cope  with  successfully.  Most  of  the  in- 
habitants are  temperate,  and  most  of  them  fortunate 
enough  to  be  employed  at  legitimate  pursuits. 

Of  course,  all  of  the  professions  are  represented, 
but  the  physicians,  attorneys  and  pastors  predominate. 
But  mercantile  pursuits  far  outnumber  the  professional 
and  in  them  are  engaged  and  employed  many  of  the 
city's  busy  thousands. 

Both  the  city  and  the  county  governments  are  con- 
ducted admirably,  notwithstanding  the  political  con- 
tentions and  unrest  incident  to  frequent  elections.  All 
of  the  officials  of  both  branches  are  courteous  and  com- 
petent, administering  the  affairs  of  each  respectively 
in  an  admirable  manner. 

COMMERCE  AND  WEALTH. 

San  Antonio,  ever  since  her  foundation,  has  been 
a  city  of  commercial  importance,  and  her  people  have 
possessed  wealth.  She  has  now  eighteen  banks,  either 
National,  State  or  private,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of 
$10,000,000  and  deposits  exceeding  $20,000,000.  Her 
clearing  house  statements  show  her  to  stand  at  the 
head  of  Texas  cities  financially,  her  wealth  being  great 
and  constantly  increasing.  While  doing  a  large  ex- 

—20— 


port  trade  with  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  she  also  is  the 
base  of  supply  for  an  immense  surrounding  section 
and  furnishes  subsistence  not  only  to  her  own  and 
other  private  populations,  but  to  thousands  of  soldiers 
of  the  United  States  army,  and  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  visiting  tourists  who  annually  visit  and  spend  some 
time  here. 

MANUFACTURING  INDUSTRIES. 

There  are  over  two  hundred  manufacturing  indus- 
tries here,  giving  employment  to  many  artisans  and 
laborers  and  distributing  wealth  and  products  about 
a  large  area  of  territory.  But  notwithstanding  those 
already  here,  there  is  still  room  for  other  successful 
manufactures  to  be  established.  Among  thoso  *hat 
would  prove  profitable  and  utilize  the  natural  raw  pro- 
ducts of  this  region,  are  cotton  and  woolen  factories 
and  mills,  tanneries,  shoe  factories,  hat  factories,  pa- 
per mills,  utilizing  the  fibre  of  the  cacti,  fruit  preserv- 
ing plants,  and  various  others,  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion. 

OIL,  COAL  AND  GAS. 

Recent  discoveries  of  crude  oil  in  the  immediate  vi- 
cinity of  San  Antonio  establish  the  fact  that  there  is  a 
supply  of  that  mineral  liquid  that  is  likely  to  satisfac- 
torily solve  the  fuel  problem.  Such  discoveries  also 
show  the  field  not  to  be  confined  to  a  single  locality, 
but  /to  extend  for  considerable  distance  in  various 
quarters. 

Coal  in  considerable  quantities  is  also  found  compar- 
atively close  to  this  city,  and  furnishes  economical 
fuel.  Wherever  coal  and  oil  exist  it  is  more  than 
likely  that  natural  gas  exists.  It  has  been  struck 
here,  although  thus  far  in  small  quantity,  but  there  is 
strong  hope  of  its  being  found  in  abundant  supply  to 
answer  all  the  needs  of  this  city,  it  haying  been  se- 
cured at  neighboring  cities.  This  Us  likely  to  add 
greatly  to  San  Antonio's  value  as  a  manufacturing 
city,  as  well  as  a  desirable  residence  locality. 

—21- 


EDUCATIONAL  FACILITIES  AND  ADVANTAGES. 

This  city  is  admirably  equipped  with  educational 
features,  facilities  and  possesses  many  advantages  in 
such  regard.  Besides  the  liberal  funds  set  aside  by 
the  State  and  derived  from  the  sale  of  public  lands, 
the  State  has  an  immense  school  fund  derived  from 
scholastic  taxation,  both  State  and  municipal. 

A  tax  sufficient  to  yield  $5  per  capita  is  levied  and 
collected  by  the  State  and  cities  and  is  spent  on  the 
education  of  the  pupils  of  the  county  and  city  public 
schools  in  Texas. 

In  San  Antonio  there  are  over  thirty  public  schools, 
which  includes  two  high  schools,  and  the  standard  of 
education  here  is  high,  ranking  favorably  with  that  of 
any  city  in  the  Union.  In  those  thirty  city  public  schools 
there  are  344  teachers,  whose  salaries  aggregate  $300,- 
000  per  annum,  and  they  instruct  14,434  pupils.  The 
city  school  board  has  recently  expended  the  sum  of  $70,- 
000  for  a  new  school  building  on  Prospect  Hill  and  the 
county  commissioners  have  recently  erected  a  new 
county  public  school  on  Alamo  Heights,  of  handsome 
design. 

PRIVATE  SCHOOLS. 

In  addition  to  the  city  and  county  public  schools  in 
San  Antonio  and  Bexar  county,  there  are  thirty-one 
private  schools  in  San  Antonio  and  surrounding  sub- 
divisions, with  a  total  daily  attendance  of  not  less  than 
5,000  pupils. 

Various  religious  denominations,  among  them  the 
Catholic,  Episcopal,  Lutheran,  Baptist,  Methodist  and 
Jewish,  have  established  and  maintain  educational  in- 
stitutions, enjoying  large  patronage,  many  pupils  com- 
ing from  Mexico  and  other  distant  localities. 

Prominent  among  these  educational  institutions  are 
the  Ursuline  Convent,  Lady  of  the  Lake  Convent,  In- 
carnate Word  Convent,  St.  Theresa's  and  St.  Mary's 
parochial  schools,  St.  Joseph's,  St.  John's  and  St.  Peter 
Clavier  Catholic  schools,  St.  Mary's  and  St.  Louis  Col- 


leges  ,the  Seminary  of  the  Oblate  Fathers  for  the  edu- 
cation of  the  Catholic  clergy.  St.  Mary's  Hall,  or  the 
Bishop  Elliott's  Memorial  Institute,  Dr.  Harrison's 
San  Antonio  Academy  and  School  for  Young  Ladies, 
Bon  Avon,  Peacock's  and  West  Texas  Military  Acade- 
my, and  there  are  numerous  other  educational  institu- 
tions, affording  excellent  opportunities  for  the  educa- 
tion of  the  young. 

RELIGIOUS  INSTITUTIONS. 

San  Antonio  is  equally  rich  in  religious  institutions. 
Almost  all  denominations  are  represented,  having  con- 
gregations and  nearly  all  of  them  their  own  places  of 
worship.  The  seats  of  the  sees  of  several  faiths  are 
located  here.  The  Catholic,  Episcopal  and  Methodist 
Bishops  reside  in  San  Antonio,  these  being  Bishops 
Shaw,  Johnston  and  Muzon. 

The  Catholics  have  fifteen  churches  and  chapels,  in- 
cluding their  Cathedral,  San  Fernando,  these  all  being 
inside  the  city  limits,  and  several  others  in  the  suburbs 
nearby  and  including  the  old  Franciscan  Missions  in 
which  the  ceremony  of  the  mass  is  celebrated.  The 
Episcopalians  fhave,  including  their  cathedral  of  St. 
Mark's,  eight  'churches,  chapels  and  missions  in  the 
city  limits  and  several  in  the  subdivisions  beyond. 
The  Methodists  have  eighteen  churches,  chapels  and 
missions.  The  Baptists  have  ten  churches,  chapels, 
etc.,  while  the  Presbyterians  have  ten,  the  Campbell- 
ites,  or  Christians,  five,  the  Lutherans  five,  Christian 
Scientists,  Evangelists  and  other  Christian  denomina- 
tions each  have  churches,  and  the  Israelites  have  three 
temples,  or  places  of  worship.  These  do  not  include 
the  Negro  churches.  The  Negroes  are  represented  in 
various  religious  denominations,  but,  principally  in  the 
Baptist  and  Methodist.  They  have  located,  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  city,  a  dozen  or  more  of  their 
churches  which  are  to  be  found  always  well  filled. 


FRATERNAL  ORGANIZATIONS. 

All  of  the  leading  fraternal  organizations  are  rep- 
resented in  San  Antonio.  The  Masonic  owns  its  tem- 
ple and  contemplates  erecting  a  Scottish  Rite  temple. 
Both  the  Scottish  and  the  York  Rite  branches  of 
Masonery  are  represented.  The  Odd  Fellows  have  two 
lodges,  one  of  them,  San  Antonio  No.  11,  owns  its  own 
building,  as  do  the  Sons  of  Hermann,  which  has  nu- 
merous lodges.  The  Red  Men,  Eagles,  Owls,  Elks, 
Moose,  Pythians,  Woodmen  and  various  other  frater- 
nal bodies,  hold  regular  meetings  here,  and  most  of 
them  have  considerable  membership  and  wealth.  Many 
of  them  have  female  branches  or  auxiliaries,  which 
also  have  regular  meetings. 

SOCIAL  ORGANIZATIONS. 

In  addition  to  the  fraternal  organizations  which  have 
social  features,  there  are  numerous  strictly  social  or- 
ganizations, and  some  patriotic  and  social  associations, 
combining  considerable  membership  and  great  activity. 

Of  these  may  be  mentioned  the  United  Confederate 
Veterans,  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy,  Daughters  of 
the  Texas  Republic,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  Wo- 
men's Relief  Corps,  Colonial  Dames,  Women's  Club, 
San  Antonio  Press  Club,  Bohemian  Scribblers,  Auth- 
ors' Club,  San  Antonio  Club,  Casino,  Turn  Verein, 
Beethoven  Maennerchor,  San  Antonio  Schutzenverein, 
Travis  Club,  Catholic  Knights'  Club,  Country  Club,  Au- 
tomobile Club,  Scientific  Society,  three  volunteer  mili- 
tary organizations,  as  well  as  the  British,  French, 
Irish,  Poles,  German,  Schweitzer  and  Mexican  social 
and  benevolent  associations,  all  having  considerable 
membership. 

PLACES  OF  AMUSEMENT. 

San  Antonio  has  numerous  places  of  public  amuse- 
ment. Among  these  are  the  theaters,  these  being  the 

—24— 


Grand  Opera  House,  Beethoven  Hall,  The  Plaza,  Ma- 
jestic, Orpheum,  Princess,  Royal,  Empire,  Star,  and 
too  many  motion  picture  drama  resorts  to  enumerate. 
For  intellectual  recreation  and  research  the  Carnegie 
Library  is  open  every  day  and  night  and  interesting 
lectures  are  given  there. 

PUBLIC  FESTIVITIES. 

Besides  those  previously  mentioned,  the  French  col- 
ony celebrates  the  fall  of  the  Bastille  on  July  14  every 
year  with  appropriate  ceremonies  and  exercises,  but 
the  greatest  public  festivities  are  those  incident  to  the 
Fiesta  San  Jacinto,  or  Spring  Carnival,  and  its  con- 
comitant pageantry,  culminating  in  the  parade  and 
"Flower  Battle."  In  this  pageant  numerous  civic  and 
military  organizations  participate.  Many  vehicles  of 
various  character  are  handsomely  decorated  and  these 
handsome  equipages  contain  beautiful  women  and 
girls  garbed  in  gala  attire,  the  scene  forming  a  poem 
of  color  and  beauty  challenging  admiration. 

This  festival,  which  occurs  in  the  Spring  and  gen- 
erally during  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  April,  at- 
tracts thousands  of  visitors  to  the  city  in  addition  to 
the  ordinary  population  and  from  a  commercial,  as 
well  as  an  artistic  and  social  standpoint,  is  always  a 
great  success. 

This  celebration  has  been  the  means  of  widely  ad- 
vertising San  Antonio,  her  Spring  Carnival  being  al- 
most as  well  and  favorably  known  as  the  New  Orleans 
Mardi  Gras  carnivals. 

A  RAILROAD  CENTER. 

....  San  Antonio  has  six  railroads  running  into  and 
out  of  the  city  and  has  connections  with  six  others. 
Those  reaching  the  city  are  the  Southern  Pacific,  In- 
ternational &  Great  Northern,  Aransas  Pass,  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas,  San  Antonio  &  Gulf,  and  San  An- 
tonio, Uvalde  &  Gulf,  while  those  connecting  with 

—25— 


these  lines  are  the  Frisco,  Cotton  Belt,  St.  Louis, 
Brownsville  &  Mexico,  Artesian  Belt,  St.  Louis  &  Iron 
Mountain,  and  Texas  &  Pacific,  which  reach  here 
through  those  connecting  directly  with  the  city.  Ex- 
tensions and  other  railways  will  very  probably  reach 
San  Antonio  shortly.  A  new  road  to  connect  her  with 
Fredericksburg  and  intervening  territory  is  being 
built  and  completion  expected  this  summer,  while  an 
English  syndicate  is  figuring  on  building  another  rail- 
way from  San  Antonio  to  the  Mexican  Gulf,  propos- 
ing terminals  at  Port  Aransas  and  Corpus  Christi. 

San  Antonio's  railway  connections,  both  present 
and  future,  render  her  an  important  railway  center, 
those  already  in  operation  adding  greatly  to  her  com- 
merce and  wealth  and  furnishing  competitive  trans- 
portation facilities. 

All  of  the  roads  centering  here  have  Mexican-  con- 
nections, two  of  them  going  directly  to  the  Mexican 
border  and  one  of  these  reaching  it  at  two  different 
points. 

NEWSPAPERS  AND  OTHER  PUBLICATIONS. 

San  Antonio  has  numerous  periodicals  and  publica- 
tions. Among  her  daily  papers  are  the  Express,  a 
morning  publication,  which  also  has  a  semi-weekly 
edition,  is  Independent  Democratic;  Light-Gazette,  an 
afternoon  paper,  Independent  in  politics,  and  the  Freie 
Presse  Fur  Texas,  printed  in  German,  weekly  and  In- 
dependent in  in  politics. 

Among  the  weekly  publications  are  the  Southern 
Messenger  (Catholic),  Texas  Staatz  Zeitung,  Dis- 
patch (Labor  Organ),  El  Regidor,  El  Imparcial,  El 
Latigo,  Katholische  Rundschau,  Texas  Stockman  and 
Farmer,  Railroad  World,  and  a  patent  inside  or  syndi- 
cate service  for  various  weekly  publications. 

While  the  monthly  magazines  are  the  Texas  Field 
and  National  Guardsman,  Investor  and  Southwest 
Farmer,  Texas  Free  Mason,  The  Texas  Baptist  and 
others. 

—26— 


All  of  these  possess  literary  value,  as  well  as  con- 
siderable circulation. 

San  Antonio  has  always  been  considered  a  city  of 
intellectuality  and  culture,  and  this  fact  is  evidenced 
in  her  publications. 


—27— 


San  Antonio's  History 


From  its  original  foundation  in 
1689  to  the  present  time,  with 
all  interesting  details  involved 
in  the  tragic 


5TORY  OF  THE  ALAMO 


FOUR    TEXAN     HEROES 


SAN  ANTONIO'5  HISTORY 


TRIFE  and  peace  have  succeeded  each  other 
and  alternated  as  far  back  as  the  history  of 
San  Antonio  can  be  traced.  The  flags  of  six 
different  Nations  have  floated  over  her  citadel,  some 
of  them  several  times.  But  long  before  the  standard 
of  any  civilized  Nation  waved  above  her  battlements 
and  buildings  she  was  under  the  sway  of  mankind. 
Her  aboriginal  inhabitants  were  of  the  type  which 
characterized  North  and  Central  America,  but  it  is 
difficult  to  say  which  particular  tribe  was  the  first  to 
congregate  here,  for  the  reason  that  those  aborigines, 
all  known  under  the  indefinite  term  of  Indians,  were 
nomadic  and  wandered  over  vast  regions,  their  prin- 
cipal quest  being  the  wild  game  of  the  plains,  the  prai- 
ries and  the  forests.  But  that  many  came  and  lin- 
gered here  long,  if  not  indefinitely,  is  probable  from 
the  fact  that  until  long  after  the  coming  of  the  white 
man,  game  abounded  in  this  immediate  environment 
and  in  quantities  sufficient  to  sustain  very  many  o£ 
them. 

Even  the  very  earliest  inhabitants  possessed  some 
civilization.  They  constructed  habitations  of  a  per- 
manent character,  fashioning  them  from  sun-dried 
bricks,  or  adobe,  and  thatching  them  with  the  thule, 
or  flags,  growing  in  profusion  along  the  streams  and 
sheets  of  water  hereabouts,  and  supplementing  the 
structural  work  with  rough  ashler  stone  broken  from 
strata  along  the  water  courses,  this  being  soft  lime- 
stone, hardening  after  exposure  to  the  atmosphere. 

The  settlements  in  this  immediate  vicinity  were 
quite  populous,  and  there  seems  to  have  been  several 
of  them,  one  each  located  at  the  headwaters  of  the 

—30— 


San  Antonio  and  San  Pedro  streams,  another  at  the 
head  of  the  Leon,  some  twenty  miles  above,  and  oth- 
ers in  adjacent  and  surrounding  localities,  wherever 
there  was  an  abundance  of  flowing  water. 

These  aborigines  seem  to  have  been  somewhat 
skilled  in  the  making  and  burning  of  pottery,  as  well 
as  the  shaping  of  flint  stone  into  arrow  and  spear 
heads.  Likewise  they  knew  the  value  of  precious 
minerals  and  metals,  and  made  ornaments  of  gold  and 
silver.  They  even  understood  the  fashioning  of  useful 
articles  from  copper,  although  their  work  was  crude 
and  coarse.  Specimens  have  been  found  in  mounds 
and  caves  wherein  the  corpses  of  the  early  inhabitants 
were  buried  with  their  possessions,  as  was  their  cus- 
tom, these  specimens  showing  quite  a  large  number 
of  articles  for  domestic  or  warfare  use,  as  well  as  for 
ornamentation. 

Some  of  the  inhabitants  dwelt  in  excavations  made 
into  the  sides  of  eminences  or  cliffs  along  the  water 
courses,  some  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  head  of  the  San  Antonio  River,  while 
others  dwelt  in  the  many  spacious  caves  found  in  this 
vicinity,  notable  near  Leon  Springs.  In  these  speci- 
mens of  pottery,  sculpture  of  crude  character  and 
articles  of  stone,  for  hostile  use,  have  been  found. 

It  is  not  only  possible,  but  very  probable,  that  the 
early  inhabitants  were  of  Aztec  (or  Tpltec)  ancestry 
or  origin,  and  that  as  their  numbers  increased  their 
settlements  spread  until  they  included  what  now  com- 
prises portions  of  the  city  limits  of  San  Antonio  that 
were  afterward  taken  over  by  the  foreign  invaders. 
One  tribe  of  Indians,  a  large  and  very  powerful  one, 
known  as  the  Natchez,  or  Netche,  ranged  from  the 
Rio  Grande  to  the  Mississippi  Rivers,  and  included 
numerous  subdivisions,  the  principal  one  of  which 
was  the  Tejas,  or  Texas  Indians,  from  which  it  is 
claimed  the  State  derives  its  name,  and  whose  central 
settlements  were  about  where  San  Antonio  is  now. 
There  are  various  definitions  given  the  term  "Texas," 

-31— 


but  the  generally  accepted  one  is  that  of  "Paradise," 
or  "Eden,"  probably  the  epithet  used  by  the  aboriginal 
discoverers  when  they  found  this  seductive  region  and 
the  then  limpid  and  superabundant  waters  flowing 
from  the  various  springs  and  forming  the  many 
streams  hereabouts.  The  term  seems  subsequently 
to  have  been  applied  to  the  aboriginal  inhabitants. 
San  Antonio  then,  in  all  likelihood,  could  well  have 
been  alluded  to  as  either  an  "Eden"  or  a  "Para- 
dise." 

COMING  OF  THE  CONQUISTADORES. 

The  term  "Tejas"  is  said  to  have  been  used  in  the 
sense  of  a  welcome  greeting  given  by  the  original  in- 
habitants found  here  to  the  Conquistadores  from  Spain 
and  by  the  latter  used  as  a  name  for  the  inhabitants. 
Alonzo  de  Leon  was  the  first  foreigner  known  to  have 
visited  here.  This  was  in  the  year  1670,  and  it  was 
on  May  15th  of  that  year  that,  in  the  name  of  his 
master  the  King  of  Spain,  he  took  formal  possession 
of  it,  he  and  his  train  having  been  received  with  hos- 
pitality and  courtesy  by  those  then  dwelling  here. 
De  Leon  had  in  his  train  some  Franciscan  Friars, 
headed  by  the  Padre  Damien  Marquenet,  and  to  them 
is  ascribed  the  founding  of  the  first  Catholic  Mission 
and  civilized  settlement,  San  Francisco,  or  San  Fer- 
nando de  Tejas,  at  the  head  springs  of  the  San  Pedro. 
This  fact  is  disputed,  although  this  locality  is  the 
most  logical  one  to  have  been  then  selected,  the  In- 
dians then  being  friendly  and  the  water  supply 
abundant. 

After  the  coming  of  De  Leon  the  next  advent  of 
Spaniards  was  that  of  Don  Domingo  de  Terran  de  Los 
Keyes,  who  was  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  Texas 
and  Coahuila,  who  is  said  to  have  been  compelled,  on 
account  of  hostility  of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants,  to 
have  the  original  mission  abandoned  and  removed. 
Terran  did  not  tarry  long  after  establishing,  together 

—32— 


with  other  Franciscian  Friars,  another  mission  which 
they  called  San  Francisco  de  la  Espada,  or  St.  Francis 
of  the  Sword. 

It  was  Don  Jose  de  Ramon  who  planted  the  first 
permanent  settlement  here,  re-establishing  the  aban- 
doned mission  at  the  head  of  the  San  Pedro,  and  call- 
ing it  the  Mission  of  San  Antonio  de  Valero.  He 
also  established  the  Presidio,  or  fort  of  San  Antonio, 
making  it  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Be  jar,  or 
Bexar,  the  Mission  of  San  Antonio  de  Valero,  or  the 
Alamo,  being  subsequently  removed  to  the  present  lo- 
cation on  Alamo  Plaza,  where  it  acquired  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  one  of  the  most  famous  places  in  the 
history  of  chivalry. 

Soon  after  settlements  by  the  Spaniards  and  Fran- 
ciscan priests,  became  numerous  about  the  site  of  this 
city.  La  Villita,  or  the  small  settlement  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river  was  established  and  there  were  sev- 
eral other  Pueblos,  or  settlements,  subsequently  es- 
tablished, but  it  appears  almost  incontrovertible  that 
the  Pueblo  de  los  Indies,  or  Indian  settlement,  at  the 
head  of  the  San  Pedro  and  known  as  the  Spanish 
settlement  of  San  Antonio  de  Valero,  was  the  first,  or 
nucleus,  of  all  others.  Early  official  reports  made 
by  the  Viceroy  of  Spain  in  Mexico  dated  in  December, 
1693,  confirm  this  and  have  not  been  controverted. 

FIRST  ROAD  BUILDING. 

The  French,  under  St.  Denis  came  here,  construct- 
ing a  military  road  from  Presidio  to  San  Antonio  in 
1714,  civilization  expanding,  notwithstanding  the  fre- 
quent and  sanguinary  struggles  for  possession  between 
Spain  and  France,  in  which  ultimately  Spain  tri- 
umphed, to  be  herself  vanquished  by  Mexico. 

The  pious  and  famous  Franciscan  Padre,  Antonio 
Marjil,  came  out  from  Castille  with  a  band  of  mis- 
sionaries and  established  the  other  Catholic  missions 
hereabouts  and  the  Indians  were  rapidly  brought  un- 


der  civilization  and  flourishing  communities  followed. 
These  different  missions  will  be  alluded  to  in  other 
parts  of  this  guide. 

THE  CANARY  COLONY. 

The  next  advent  of  Spaniards  grew  out  of  a  visit  of 
the  Marquis  de  Casa  Fuerte,  or  Strong  House,  a  Mex- 
ican Viceroy  of  Spain,  who  became  interested  in  the 
locality  and  was  so  favorably  prepossessed  with  it 
that  he  induced  his  monarch  to  send  oat  a  colony 
from  the  Canary  Islands,  consisting  of  the  heads  of 
thirteen  different  families  and  three  widows,  all  of 
noble  lineage  and  entitled  to  be  known  as  the  grandees 
of  Spain,  and  the  males  to  the  prefix  of  Don  to  their 
names.  They  came  here  at  the  conclusion  of  hostilities 
between  Spain  and  France,  in  1733,  at  which  time  the 
two  royal  houses  of  Spain  and  Austria  had  blended, 
the  Marquis  de  Aguyo  had  been  replaced  by  a  newly 
created  Duke  de  Be  jar  and  Viceroy.  The  name  of  the 
place  was  changed  to  San  Antonio  de  Be  jar,  and  the 
citadel  to  San  Fernando  de  Austria,  in  honor  of  Fer- 
dinand III,  the  King  of  Spain. 

Among  those  who  constituted  these  colonists  were 
the  three  widows,  Donna  Maria  de  Betancourt,  Donna 
Josefa  Garza,  and  Donna  Maria  Rodriguez,  the  broth- 
ers De  Armas,  all  bachelors,  two  men  named  Juan 
Leal,  one  known  as  Alvarez  and  the  other  Goraz, 
Juan  Curbelo  de  Los  Santos,  Manuel  de  Niz,  Antonio 
and  Juan  Rodriguez,  Salvador  Rodriguez,  Jose  Padron, 
Jose  Cabrero  and  Maria  Rodriguez,  widow  of  Juan 
Cabrera,  Mariana  Melanado,  Francisco  de  Arocha, 
Vicente  Alvarez  Travieso,  Juan  Delgado,  Jose  Antonio 
Perez,  Maria  Rodriguez  de  Grandillo.  Shortly  after 
the  arrival  of  these  and  their  being  awarded  grants 
of  land  in  and  around  San  Antonio,  also  came  the 
families  of  Losoyo,  Cervantes,  relatives  of  the  author 
of  Don  Quixote,  Pena,  Del  Valle,  Caravajal,  Hernan- 
dez, Nunez,  Valdez,  Musquiz,  Montez  de  Ocha,  Garcia, 

—34- 


Urutea,  Menchaca,  Chavez,  Barrera,  Musquiz,  Yturri, 
Gortari,  Villareal,  De  Zavala,  Saucedo,  Saenz,  Zambra- 
no,  Rivas  and  others,  and  still  later  the  family  of  Jose 
Cassini,  Italians,  who  changed  their  names  to  Cassia- 
no,  a  Spanish  name,  one  of  whom  married  the  widow 
of  the  former  Governor,  Antonio  Cordero. 

Previous  to  the  coming  of  the  Canary  Islanders 
the  city  had  been  laid  out,  but  in  a  very  irregular 
manner.  The  streets  and  plazas  had  been  defined 
and  named. 

THE  FIRST  CITY  CHARTER. 

The  first  city  charter  was  granted  to  this  city  in 
1733  by  the  Spanish  crown.  The  place  then  had  a 
regular  garrison  of  117  Spanish  soldiers,  commanded 
by  Don  Antonio  de  Almazon,  whose  army  rank  was 
that  of  captain. 

The  seat  of  government  then  was  on  Military  Plaza, 
the  barracks  of  the  soldiers  being  ranged  along  the 
north  side,  while  the  civil  and  military  officials  had 
their  offices  and  quarters  on  the  west  side  of  that 
plaza.  The  east  side  was  given  over  to  the  Catholic 
clergy  and  the  south  side  to  settlers. 

BLENDED  COATS  OF  ARMS. 

In  the  edifices  on  the  west  side  of  Military  Plaza, 
in  which  the  Governor,  or  his  representatives,  was 
quartered,  is  still  to  be  seen  carved  into  the  keystone 
of  the  flat  arch  above  the  portal  the  blended  coats  of 
arms  of  Spain  and  Austria,  this  place  having  been  the 
official  residence  of  Governor  Don  Antonio  Cordero, 
who  was  deposed  and  is  said  to  have  been  beheaded, 
while  others  claim  that  he  escaped  and  resided  in 
Mexico  until  he  died  a  natural  death. 

No  Americans  settled  in  San  Antonio  for  nearly  a 
century  after  the  coming  of  the  Canary  Islanders. 
The  first  ones  seen  here  were  survivors  of  an  expedi- 
tion headed  by  the  Irishman,  Captain  Phillip  Nolan. 

—35— 


The  American  Explorer,  Zebulon  Pike,  visited  here 
in  1807,  and  was  entertained  by  the  authorities.  He 
reported  finding  then  a  settlement  of  two  thousand 
persons,  principally  Spaniards  and  Indians. 

AN  EARLY  REVOLUTION. 

While  prior  to  that  time  there  had  been  several 
minor  insurrections,  and  some  executions  for  disloyalty 
to  Spain,  it  is  probable  that  the  first  revolution  of 
any  great  importance  was  that  headed  by  a  cer- 
tain Captain  Juan  Bautista  Casas,  at  that  time  one  of 
the  officers  of  the  Garrison,  whose  cause  was  support- 
ed by  the  soldiers  who  mutinied,  seizing  and  incarcer- 
ating the  commander,  Col.  Don  Manuel  Saucedo,  and 
Lieut.  Col.  Simon  Herera,  both  of  whom  had  been 
Spanish  Governors  here,  and  confining  them  in  the 
Mission  of  San  Antonio  de  Valero,  or  the  Alamo. 
Later  he  sent  them  to  Laredo  under  guard.  Casas 
sent  expeditions  to  La  Bahia  anl  Nacogdoches  Mis- 
sions to  arrest  the  garrison  commanders  there,  but 
meanwhile  offended  the  Catholic  clergy,  one  of  whom, 
Father  Juan  Manuel  Zambrano,  organized  a  revolu- 
tion against  him  at  a  junta  or  secret  meeting  of  the 
prominent  citzens  of  the  Pueblo,  among  those  at  this 
meeting  being  himself,  chosen  president,  Jose  Antonio 
Saucedo,  secretary,  Ignacio  Perez,  Miguel  Musquiz, 
Antonio  Saenz,  Luciano  Garcia,  Erasmo  Seguin,  Louis 
Galan,  Manuel  Barera,  Vicente  Gortari,  Gabino  Del- 
gado,  and  Juan  Jose  Zambrano,  who  after  two  months' 
effort,  secretly  secured  the  support  of  the  soldiers, 
who  had  become  disgusted  at  the  conduct  of  Casas. 
The  latter  was  apprehended  on  a  charge  of  treason 
and  placed  in  the  same  prison  where  he  had  first  in- 
carcerated Hereta  and  Saucedo.  On  May  14  of  that 
year  he  was  arraigned  before  a  summary  military 
tribunal,  but  succeeded  in  having  his  case  transferred 
to  Monclova,  Mexico,  where  in  June,  1811,  he  was 
placed  on  trial,  convicted  and  condemned  to  die  as  a 
traitor  by  being  shot  in  the  back.  He  was  so  executed, 

—36— 


after  which  his  head  was  severed  from  the  body  and 
brought  here  and  displayed  from  the  top  of  a  tall 
pole  in  the  center  of  Military  Plaza  where  the  City 
Hall  now  stands.  His  estate  was  confiscated. 

THE  MAGEE  EXPEDITION. 

The  next  active  hostility  was  that  of  the  Magee 
expedition,  when  under  the  leadership  of  a  Major 
Kempner,  a  body  of  invaders  attacked  and  defeated 
the  garrison  under  General  Saucedo,  who  marched 
out  to  meet  them  and  came  in  contact  on  the  Rosillo 
creek,  this  engagement  having  been  known  as  the 
Battle  of  the  Rosillo.  Following  close  upon  this  en- 
gagement was  the  murder  of  loyal  Spanish  and  other 
citizens  by  Delgado. 

THE  ATTACK  AT  THE  ALAZAN. 

The  next  engagement  grew  out  of  the  Mexican 
revolution  against  Spain  by  the  Priest,  Hidalgo,  who 
lost  his  life,  but  whose  cause  finally  prevailed.  The 
Mexican  and  foreign  citizens  here  revolted  and  the 
Spanish  General,  Elisondo,  was  sent,  in  June,  1813, 
to  take  from  them  the  city  and  made  a  demand  upon 
them  formally  to  surrender  it  within  twenty-four 
hours.  During  the  night  an  American,  Captain  Perry, 
organized  a  force  with  Captains  Menchaca  and  Gu- 
tierez,  who  while  the  Spanish  forces  were  alseep, 
secretly  crept  upon,  attacked  and  almost  annihilated 
them  on  the  banks  of  the  Alazan,  killing  and  wounding 
many  and  taking  the  others  prisoners,  but  a  small 
remnants  of  the  Spaniards,  with  their  leader,  being 
able  to  escape  and  make  their  way  back  to  Mexico. 

This  victory  made  the  American  and  Mexican  par- 
ticipants overconfident.  Another  expedition  was  or- 
ganized against  them  by  the  Spaniards  in  August  of 
that  same  year,  headed  by  the  Spanish  General,  Ar- 
redondo  and  aided  by  Elisondo  and  a  stronger  force 
than  the  preceding  expedition. 

—37— 


It  camped  on  the  Medina,  forming  an  ambuscade, 
V-shaped,  into  which  the  San  Antonians  incautiously 
marched,  making  the  mistake  of  attacking  outside  in- 
stead of  awaiting  attack  in  their  own  city  and  strong- 
hold, which  could  easily  have  been  held  by  concerted 
effort. 

The  local  forces  were  commanded  by  General  To- 
ledo, and  Colonel  Perry  was  second  in  command.  There 
were  300  Americans  and  600  Mexicans  to  combat  a 
force  nearly  thrice  their  number.  The  combat  was 
short,  sharp  and  decisive.  The  local  force  was  routed 
and  fled  in  confusion  back  to  the  city,  followed  by  the 
victors  who  only  halted  long  enough  on  the  banks  of 
the  Medina  to  execute  170  prisoners  by  summarily 
shooting  them. 

On  entering  San  Antonio  Arredondo  arrested  300 
male  and  400  female  inhabitants,  the  women  being 
either  the  wives  or  other  relatives  of  the  revolution- 
ists who  had  fought  the  Spaniards.  The  male  prison- 
ers were  crowded  so  closely  into  a  single  structure 
that  18  of  them  perished  from  suffocation  the  same 
night.  He  also  summarily  executed  a  number  of  oth- 
ers. The  women  were  subjected  to  many  insults  and 
indignities  and  were,  a  large  number  of  them,  impris- 
oned in  a  quaint  old  structure  known  as  the  "Quinta" 
on  Dwyer  Avenue,  and  which  was  afterward  the  first 
Texas  postoffice.  There  the  women  were  compelled  to 
shell,  grind  and  make  into  "tortillas,"  or  corn  cakes, 
24  bushels  of  corn  per  day  for  food  for  Arredondo's 
soldiers.  Finally  one  of  the  women  prisoners  rebelled 
at  an  insult  offered  her  personally  by  Arredondo  and 
offered  to  fight  a  duel  with  him.  One  of  the  Spanish 
priests  then  interceded  on  behalf  of  the  women  and 
they  were  released,  but  not  before  an  attack  had  been 
made  on  the  soldiers  guarding  the  Quinta,  several  of 
whom  were  thrown  into  the  river  flowing  back  of  it 
and  drowned.  Ultimately  all  prisoners  were  released, 
but  the  property  of  many  of  them  was  confiscated 
and  numerous  lawsuits  have  grown  out  of  titles  to 

—38— 


property  involved  in  these  confiscations,  the  most 
notable  one  of  which  was  the  case  known  as  the  "Sa- 
briego"  suit. 

The  Mexicans  triumphed  in  Mexico  over  the  Span- 
iards and  inaugurated  a  government  of  their  own 
which  brought  San  Antonio  under  its  domination.  No 
more  hostilities  occurred  here  from  that  time  except 
defenses  against  hostile  Indians,  until  the  revolution  of 
the  Texans  against  the  Mexicans. 

AUSTIN'S  COLONY. 

Moses  Austin,  who  had  been  given  a  grant  of  land 
by  the  Mexican  government,  undertook  to  establish  a 
colony  for  its  settlement  and  cultivation.  He  endeav- 
ored under  his  grant  to  locate  it,  but  the  Mexican  au- 
thorities, regarding  with  suspicion  the  advent  of  Amer- 
icans, caused  Austin  for  a  time  to  forego  his  enter- 
prise. Later  the  Baron  of  Bastrop,  who  had  been 
given  a  similar  grant,  joined  Austin  in  the  undertak- 
ing, but  unfortunately  Moses  Austin  died  before  ac- 
complishing his  purpose.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
son,  Stephen  Fuller  Austin,  and  the  colony  came  to 
Texas  the  latter  part  of  1821.  It  located  near  where 
Brenham,  in  Washington  County,  now  is  and  not  very 
far  from  the  old  town  of  Washington. 

PERSECUTIONS  BY  MEXICANS. 

The  colonists  were  persecuted,  harrassed  and  insult- 
ed by  the  Mexicans,  who  overtaxed  them  exorbitantly, 
seized  their  arms,  leaving  them  defenseless  among  hos- 
tile Indians,  with  whom  the  Mexicans  were  in  league. 
The  Austinites  were  so  goaded  that  they  determined 
to  resist  future  oppression.  Meanwhile  Santa  Anna, 
the  Mexican  dictator,  had  overthrown  the  Constitu- 
tional government  of  Mexico,  under  whose  grants  the 
Austinites  were  operating  and  under  whose  flag  they 
were  marshaled  as  "Constitutionalists."  Up  to  that 


time  there  had  been  no  attempt  and  probably  no  in- 
tention, of  establishing  a  separate  government,  but 
the  success  of  Santa  Anna  left  them  no  option. 

San  Antonio  had  ceased  to  be  the  capital,  which  had 
been  changed  back  to  Coahuila  and  next  to  Saltillo. 
This  caused  those  having  business  with  the  assessor 
of  taxes  to  travel  over  600  miles,  during  all  of  which 
time  they  were  exposed  to  attack  by  Indians,  who, 
during  a  period  of  less  than  ten  years  had  murdered 
nearly  100  persons  traveling  between  this  city  and 
points  in  Mexico. 

BOWIE  BRINGS  HOPE. 

Among  the  early  American  settlers  was  James 
Bowie,  an  adventurer,  a  man  of  handsome  appear- 
ance, engaging  manners,  and  of  superior  personal 
courage,  who  had  not  been  long  here  before  he  won 
the  affection  and  secured  the  hand  of  Ursulla  Vera- 
mendi,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  Juan  Martin  de  Ver- 
amendi,  the  dominant  governor. 

Bowie  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  but  had  made  his 
home  prior  to  coming  to  Texas  with  his  brother,  Resin 
P.  Bowie,  at  Natchez,  Mississippi.  Both  of  the  Bowies 
seem  to  have  been  lured  here  by  a  quest  for  an  old 
abandoned  gold  and  silver  mine,  said  to  be  located  not 
far  from  where  the  town  of  San  Angelo  now  is.  They 
vainly  sought  it,  were  attacked  by  Indians,  and  had  to 
fight  their  way,  which  they  did  successfully,  back  to 
San  Antonio.  Bowie's  brother  Resin,  returned  to  Mis- 
sissippi, but  James  Bowie  remained  here.  When  the 
Texas  revolution  broke  out  he  joined  the  forces  of 
Austin,  was  given  a  commission  of  Colonel  and  en- 
listed the  support  of  his  illustrious  father-in-law,  but 
unfortunately  Governor  Veramendi  was  recalled  to 
Mexico  and  superceded  by  Barera.  Bowie's  wife  ac- 
companied her  father,  and  both  she  and  her  father 
died  of  an  epidemic  of  either  smallpox  or  cholera. 

—40— 


SANTA  ANNA  BECOMES  Vicious. 

The  tyrant,  Santa  Anna,  meanwhile  had  become  very 
vicious  and  oppressive.  Hating  the  American  colo- 
nists, he  issued  orders  for  the  arrest  and  imprisonment 
of  William  Barret  Travis,  I.  M.  Carvajahl,  R.  M.  Wil- 
liamson, Morley  Baker,  Francis  W.  Johnson,  Jose  Zam- 
brano  and  Lorenzo  de  Zavala,  who  had  especially  in- 
curred his  displeasure.  De  Zavalla  was  a  Spaniard. 
He  was  the  first  vice  president  of  the  Texas  Republic 
and  the  grandfather  of  Miss  Adina  de  Zavala,  a  patri- 
otic San  Antonio  lady,  who  has  endeavored  to  save 
from  destruction  historic  structures  and  landmarks 
that  have  either  been  destroyed  or  threatened  with  de- 
struction. 

Ugartachea  was  the  Mexican  general  in  command  of 
San  Antonio  when  the  Texans  first  banded  together 
and  remained  in  command  until  he  was  succeeded  here 
in  command  by  the  brother-in-law  of  Santa  Anna,  De 
Cos.  Active  hostilities  between  the  Constitutionalists 
and  the  Dictator's  forces  were  precipitated  by  De  Cos 
soon  after  his  arrival. 

FIRST  CLASH  AT  GONZALES. 

The  people  of  Gonzales  had  a  small  brass  cannon, 
known  as  a  "four-pounder,"  that  being  the  weight  of 
the  ball  it  chambered.  This  they  had  used  successfully 
in  defense  against  the  Indians  for  some  time.  De  Cos 
sent  a  strong  detachment  f rom-  San  Antonio  to  Gon- 
zales after  this  piece  of  artillery.  This  detachment 
halted  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  and  sent  over 
a  demand  for  the  cannon.  This  demand  was  refused 
defiantly  and  the  soldiers  sent  for  it  were  told  to  "come 
and  take  it  if  they  could."  They  attempted  to  do  so, 
but  were  repulsed  and  fled  promptly  back  from  whence 
they  came,  reporting  to  Cos  their  disaster.  This  was 
the  first  act  of  open  rebellion  by  the  Constitutionalists, 
but  it  committed  them  to  a  campaign  of  hostilities  and 

—41— 


forced  the  resolution  to  attempt  to  take  San  Antonio 
from  Santa  Anna's  soldiery,  which,  numbering  about 
3000,  then  garrisoned  this  city. 

Against  it  were  600  men.  Austin  organized  in  Octo- 
ber, 1835,  for  this  purpose.  They  were  placed  under 
the  joint  command  of  Colonel  James  Bowie  and  Cap- 
tain J.  W.  Fannin.  They  marched  to  the  old  Mission 
Espada  and  went  into  camp,  from  whence  they  sent  a 
flag  of  truce  to  Cos  to  demand  his  capitulation.  De 
Cos  was  expecting  reinforcements  and  already  had  a 
much  superior  force,  so  he  refused  to  recognize  the 
messengers  of  Austin.  This  refusal  caused  almost  im- 
mediate warfare. 

BOWIE'S  FIRST  BATTLE. 

Cos  had  sent  a  strong  force  of  cavalry  towards  the 
camp  of  Austin's  command.  They  had  reached  and 
bivouacked  at  the  Mission  Concepcion.  On  October  28, 
a  small  force  of  only  ninety  men  had  been  sent  by  Aus- 
tin under  Bowie  and  Fannin  to  reconnoiter.  On  the 
morning  of  that  day  they  found  themselves  surrounded 
by  the  Mexicans,  who  also  had  two  cannon.  The  Mexi- 
cans demanded  immediate  and  unconditional  surrend- 
er. Bowie  sternly  refused.  He  issued  the  command 
to  his  men  to  charge  and  attack.  This  surprised  the 
Mexicans  completely.  In  the  fierce  encounter  which 
followed,  60  of  the  400  Mexicans  were  killed  outright 
and  40  wounded,  while  but  one  of  the  Texans,  Richard 
Andrews,  was  slain,  and  only  seven  wounded. 

Leaving  their  cannon,  throwing  down  their  arms 
and  other  impediments,  the  Mexicans  fled.  Later  the 
Mexicans  were  permitted,  under  a  flag  of  truce,  to 
remove  their  dead  and  wounded.  Both  opposing  forces 
remained  inactive  for  nearly  a  month,  Cos  still  await- 
ing reinforcements,  although  he  had  men  enough, 
properly  handled,  to  have  exterminated  the  Texans. 


THE  GRASS  FIGHT. 

Ever  on  the  alert  to  intercept  the  reinforcements 
expected  by  the  Mexicans,  the  Constitutionalists  kept 
watch  outside  of  the  city.  On  November  26  they  saw 
a  considerable  force  of  soldiers,  about  100  in  number, 
sent  out  to  cut  grass  for  forage  for  Mexican  horses. 
In  the  grey  dawn  enveloping  them,  the  Constitution- 
alists mistook  those  for  the  expected  reinforcements 
coming  to  Cos,  fell  upon  them  suddenly  and  unexpect- 
edly and  chased  them  into  a  ravine.  Cos  sent  out  re- 
inforcements from  the  city  to  succor  them,  the  latter 
forces  greatly  exceeding  the  Constitutionalists,  who 
again  were  victorious,  suffering  the  loss  of  a  single 
soldier  killed  and  but  two  wounded,  while  the  Mexicans 
had  fifty  killed  and  a  large  number  wounded. 

AUSTIN  RETIRES. 

Stephen  F.  Austin  had  been  given  a  commission  by 
the  United  States  Government  and  resigned  his  com- 
mand, being  at  the  time  quite  ill.  He  retired  and  Ed- 
ward Burleson,  a  brave  and  brilliant  man,  succeeded 
to  the  command  of  the  Constitutionalist  force.  Burle- 
son believed  that  to  attack  De  Cos  in  San  Antonio  would 
have  been  folly  and  had  resolved  to  await  reinforce- 
ments that  were  expected  to  come  from  New  Orleans 
and  other  cities  and  States,  two  companies,  the  Tigers 
and  Louisiana  Grays,  already  being  with  his  command. 
But  the  inactivity  in  the  Constitutional  camp  bred  dis- 
cord. Many  of  the  troops  openly  announced  unless  an 
attack  was  made  upon  San  Antonio  very  soon,  that 
they  would  march  from  the  field.  Bowie,  Burleson  and 
others  endeavored  to  dissuade  them  and  for  a  time 
seemed  to  succeed,  but  Samuel  A.  Maverick,  Erasmus 
(Deaf)  Smith  and  Johnson  came  from  San  Antonio 
into  camp,  which  then  had  been  changed  to  the  Old 
Molino  Blanco,  or  White  Mill,  located  on  the  San  An- 
tonio river,  near  Oakland  street,  on  property  now 
owned  by  H.  P.  Drought.  These  messengers  brought 


tidings  that  gave  hope  of  success  and  Ben  Milam,  who, 
up  to  then  had  been  rather  an  inconspicuous  figure  in 
the  ranks,  arose  and  began  a  spirited  and  stirring  ha- 
rangue, concluding  with  the  famous  sentence: 

"Who  Will  Follow  Old  Ben  Milam  Into  San  Antonio?" 

More  than  two-thirds  of  the  force  responded  by  sur- 
rounding him  and  declaring  their  intention  of  joining 
him.  This  was  on  December  3,  1835,  and  instant  prep- 
aration for  the  attack  was  made.  Burleson  still  deemed 
it  rash,  but  was  overridden.  He  finally  acquiesced, 
but  gave  the  lead  to  Milam,  Morris,  Maverick  and 
Johnson,  who  proceeded  at  once  to  marshal  the  force 
which  was  finally  augmented  by  the  entire  organiza- 
tion joining.  But  a  small  portion  was  held  in  reserve  at 
the  mill,  while  the  attacking  force  moved  in  three  col- 
umns. Milam  and  Major  Morris  moved  west  of  the 
river,  while  Johnson's  command  moved  east  of  it  and 
towards  the  Alamo  Mission,  to  make  a  feint  attack, 
while  the  main  body  was  attacking  the  principal  por- 
tion of  the  city.  The  attack,  although  sudden,  was  not 
entirely  unexpected.  The  resistance  was  stern  and 
stubborn.  The  Constitutionalists  had  to  fight  their 
way  from  house  to  house.  Morris  and  Milam,  who  had 
captured  the  Garza  House,  were  to  effect  a  junction 
at  Veramendi  Palace  on  Soledad  street.  On  December 
7,  Milam,  with  Maverick  at  his  side,  had  reached  the 
Veramendi,  when  he  was  killed  by  a  shot  fired  by  a 
sharpshooter  stationed  either  in  a  tall  cypress  tree 
overlooking  the  place  or  on  the  roof  of  a  building  near- 
by. Milam  fell  into  Maverick's  arms  and  expired.  He 
was  carried  into  the  Veramendi  and  his  death  kept 
secret  from  all  except  those  who  had  witnessed  it.  Cos 
was  also  ignorant  of  it.  He  had  retreated  to  the  east 
side  of  the  river,  into  La  Vilita,  and  had  taken  up  his 
headquarters  there,  still  vainly  expecting  reinforce- 
ments. 

Victory  was  achieved  as  Milam  fell.  The  acclama- 
tions of  his  men  were  the  last  sounds  heard  by  Mi- 


lam  as  he  sank  into  the  slumber  of  death.  Cos  sur- 
rendered to  Johnson  and  Morris.  He  was  permitted 
to  retire  with  his  force  and  their  arms  on  condition 
that  he  would  not  again  contend  against  the  Texans. 
He  did  not  keep  his  pledge,  as  subsequent  recitals  will 
show. 

Milam  was  secretly  buried  near  where  he  fell.  His 
body  remained  in  its  first  grave  for  twelve  years 
when  it  was  removed  to  its  present  last  resting  place 
near  the  center  of  Milam  Square.  There  it  was  re- 
buried  with  the  rites  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  of 
which  he  had  been  a  member,  this  funeral  being  on  a 
very  cold  day  when  there  had  been  a  considerable 
snow  fall. 

COMING  OF  CROCKETT. 

Travis,  Bowie  and  Bonham  were  in  San  Antonio. 
Fannin  had  gone  to  Goliad  and  had  taken  quarters 
with  his  command  in  the  old  Mission  La  Bahia.  Bur- 
leson,  Jack  and  other  prominent  personalities  in  the 
capture  of  San  Antonio  had  gone  among  them.  Mave- 
rick and  Juan  Antonio  Navarro,  the  two  latter  having 
been  sent  as  delegates  to  the  convention  to  be  held 
in  Washington,  de  Zavala  being  there  already.  This 
left  an  inconsequential  force  to  garrison  San  Antonio 
and  hold  it  against  attack. 

News  of  the  approach  of  a  large  force  of  Mexicans 
had  been  received  here  and  transmitted  to  General 
Sam  Houston,  who  had  become  the  commander-in-chief 
of  the  Texas  forces  and  was  at  Gonzales.  On  receiv- 
ing it  and  learning  the  strength  of  the  approaching  in- 
vading force  Houston  sent  orders  to  Travis,  who  was 
in  command  at  San  Antonio,  to  evacuate  the  place 
and  join  him. 

About  this  time  David  Crockett,  a  former  Tennessee 
Congressman  and  a  very  picturesque  character  ar- 
rived, taking  up  his  quarters  with  the  garrison,  whom 
he  joined.  Crockett  was  given  a  command  and  fre- 


quently  made  stirring  speeches,  being  a  natural  ora- 
tor. Travis'  force  was  then  occupying  the  barracks 
formerly  used  by  the  Mexicans  and  Spaniards  on  Mili- 
tary and  Main  Plazas. 

Meanwhile  Houston  evacuated  Gonzales  and  with 
his  army  retreated  east  of  the  Colorado  river,  and 
some  of  those  who  had  been  at  Gonzales  with  Hous- 
ton, twenty-seven  in  number,  left  Gonzales  and  march- 
ed into  the  Alamo  mission  to  which  the  Texans  had 
moved,  driving  with  them  sixty  beeves  and  carrying 
considerable  corn,  some  artillery  and  its  ammunition 
in  limited  quantity  and  some  powder  and  lead.  The 
old  chapel,  or  church,  was  used  for  a  magazine. 
Arched  openings  in  the  Monastery  portion  were  closed 
and  it  was  used  as  a  barracks.  Cannon  were  placed 
within  the  enclosure,  upon  the  roof  of  the  Monastery 
and  one  of  the  Southwestern  portions  of  the  Chapel 
roof  which  part  had  not  previously  fallen  in.  Two 
other  cannon  were  placed  on  platforms  inside  the 
church  at  the  eastern  extremity. 

Green  B.  Jemison,  who  had  previously  been  an  en- 
sign in  the  United  States  Navy,  planned  the  defenses, 
closed  the  openings  most  likely  to  be  breeched  and  di- 
rected the  engineering  work,  sending  to  General  Sam 
Houston  a  plat  of  his  proposed  defenses. 

STORY  OP  THE  'ALAMO'S  SIEGE  AND  FALL. 

Santa  Anna  had  drawn  closer  and  closer  to  the 
doomed  defenders.  His  forces  came  in  two  columns, 
one  from  Laredo,  where  they  had  crossed  the  Rio 
Grande,  headed  by  himself,  and  the  other  from  Mata- 
moras,  from  where  they  had  crossed  that  stream.  San- 
ta Anna's  combined  troops  effected  a  junction  near  the 
Concepcion  Mission  and  marched  into  San  Antonio 
over  the  ford  at  the  foot  of  Navarro  street,  going 
into  the  western  portion  of  the  city,  reaching  here 
near  sundown  on  February  22nd,  1836. 

Santa  Anna  made  his  headquarters  in  the  old 
Yturri  building  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Main  Ave- 

—46— 


nue  and  Main  Plaza  and  hoisted  his  flag  over  the  San 
Fernando  Cathedral  dome,  then  the  loftiest  edifice  in 
that  section  of  the  city.  He  sent  a  message  to  Travis 
to  unconditionally  surrender,  giving  him  six  hours 
within  which  to  do  so,  and  to  get  all  non-combatants 
out  of  the  Alamo  Mission.  Travis'  immediate  reply 
was  a  well  directed  shot  from  the  cannon  he  personal- 
ly commanded.  This  shot  struck  and  knocked  down 
the  flag  that  Santa  Anna  had  ordered  hoisted  on  the 
San  Fernando  church,  greatly  incensing  the  dictator, 
who  replaced  it  with  a  black  flag.  Meanwhile  Travis 
wrote  a  proclamation,  which  he  had  read  to  his  men, 
in  which  he  announced  his  determination  to  remain 
where  he  was  and  perish  if  succor  did  not  come  to 
him.  He  stepped  out  in  front  of  his  men.  With  his 
sword  he  drew  a  line,  saying:  "All  who  will  stay 
with  me,  step  forward  over  this  line.  All  who  wish 
to  leave  remain  where  they  are."  All  crossed  over  but 
one.  Bowie  directed  that  the  cot  on  which  he  was, 
be  carried  over  to  where  Travis  was,  Bowie  being  too 
weak  to  rise  from  it  and  walk  over.  The  only  one 
who  failed  to  follow  to  Travis'  side  of  the  line  was  a 
person  named  Rose,  who  during  the  night  was  let  out 
of  a  window,  which  was  opened  and  quickly  closed  be- 
hind him.  Rose  was  never  afterward  heard  from,  and 
it  is  highly  probable  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  Mexican 
soldiers  watching  the  place  and  perished  at  their 
hands.  Crockett  is  said  to  have  urged  Rose  to  re- 
main, fight  and  die  with  the  others.  Up  to  that  time 
Rose  had  fought  bravely  as  any  of  the  rest  and  it  was 
a  surprise  to  his  companions  when  Rose  failed  to  cross 
over  with  them. 

The  siege  was  hard  and  fierce,  only  interrupted  by 
short  periods  of  rest  during  which  the  firing  on  both 
sides  ceased  for  brief  spells,  when  the  defenders  were 
too  exhausted  to  reload  and  fire  and  had  to  sleep. 
But  always  the  defenders  were  on  guard,  watching 
their  defenses  and  exposed  portions.  During  the  night 
of  Saturday,  March  5,  Santa  Anna  called  a  council  of 

—47— 


all  of  his  staff  commanders  and  announced  to  them 
that  at  dawn  of  the  following  morning  the  final  as- 
sault would  be  made,  and  that  no  quarter  was  to  be 
shown  to  any  adult  male  found  in  the  garrison  group. 
During  several  preceeding  days  he  had  permitted  false 
information  of  a  threatened  attack  to  reach  the  garri- 
son, so  as  to  keep  them  awake  and  to  exhaust  them. 
Travis  and  his  men  had  but  scant  rest  during  the  ten 
days  they  were  defending  the  place.  On  Sunday 
morning  with  bands  playing  the  "Deguillo"  or  "No 
Quarter"  air,  and  flags  flying,  Santa  Anna's  troops 
marched  in  full  force.  Thrice  they  had  assailed  the 
place  and  been  hurled  back  after  the  Tolucca  battalion 
had  made  a  breech  in  the  north  wall  of  the  enclosure 
adjoining  the  Monastery  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
that  structure.  Scaling  ladders  had  been  applied  and 
those  of  the  Mexicans  who  had  manned  them  had  fall- 
en back  dead  under  the  true  aim  of  the  defenders. 
Santa  Anna  personally  urged  and  swore  at  his  men. 
Travis  was  killed  by  a  musket  ball  just  as  he  had 
fired  the  last  charge  he  had  from  his  cannon  as  he 
exhausted  his  ammunition.  He  fell  dead  athwart  his 
cannon  on  the  Monastery  roof. 

BONHAM  DIED  NEAR  HIM. 

For  an  hour  and  a  half  the  unequal  struggle  lasted. 
But  the  ammunition  of  the  defenders,  both  for  can- 
non and  small  arms,  was  then  exhausted.  Even  then 
with  their  rifles  clubbed,  with  beams  and  whatever 
other  weapons  they  could  wield,  knives,  swords  or 
anything  they  could  secure,  they  fought  to  the  last. 
The  women  and  children  and  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
of  the  men  sought  refuge  in  the  church  into  which 
Bowie's  cot  had  been  carried,  and  it  was  there  the  last 
stand  was  made  after  Crocket  had  perished  in  the 
open  space  between  the  Monastery  and  the  church  and 
almost  in  front  of  the  church  door,  falling  at  the  top 
of  a  heap  of  Mexican  soldiers  whom  he  had  slain  with 
his  clubbed  rifle.  He  was  shot  by  one  of  the  Mexi- 

—48— 


cans  just  as  he  was  dealing  a  death  blow  to  another. 

Bowie  died  fighting  on  his  cot,  using  his  famous 
knife,  made  from  a  file,  after  exhausting  all  of  his  pis- 
tol ammunition.  Lieutenant  Dickenson,  of  the  United 
States  army,  who  with  his  wife  and  child,  was  in  the 
Alamo,  was  among  those  who  perished  in  the  church, 
these  two,  Bowie  and  he,  being  the  only  ones  of  prom- 
inence known  to  have  died  in  the  church.  Within 
twenty  minutes  after  the  Mexicans  had  effected  an 
entrance  into  the  church  after  killing  all  of  the  oth- 
ers in  and  about  the  Monastery  and  other  portions 
of  the  church  of  the  Mission  premises,  every  male 
person  over  the  age  of  ten  years  had  been  slain.  The 
women,  ten  or  twelve;  of  the  children,  eight  in  num- 
ber, were  spared,  among  these  being  the  wife  and  child 
of  Lieutenant  Dickenson,  the  latter  being  known  as 
the  "babe  of  the  Alamo."  Among  the  other  women 
and  children  were  the  widow  of  a  Mexican  soldier,  Es- 
parza,  and  her  8-year-old  son,  Enrique.  The  latter, 
now  a  very  old  man,  is  living  in  San  Antonio,  and  in 
all  likelihood  is  the  only  survivor  of  the  Alamo.  Mrs. 
JAlsberry,  who  afterwards  married  Jose  Penaloza,  was 
another  of  the  women  saved  and  spared,  and  Madam 
Candalaria,  claimed  to  have  been  in  the  Alamo  Mission 
during  its  siege  and  fall. 

But  all  who  defended  it  fell.  There  were  no  sur- 
vivors of  this  combat.  It  has  been  truly  said: 

"Thermopalae  had  her  messenger  of  defeat.  The 
Alamo  had  none." 

Besides  the  Americans  and  other  Texans  there 
were  eight  or  ten  Mexican  sympathizers  who  had 
joined  and  remained  with  them,  fighting  to  the  last, 
and  died  with  them. 

THE  HONOR  ROLL. 

According  to  the  roster,  the  following  names  of 
those  who  perished  there,  while  defending  the  Alamo 
Mission  were: 

-49— 


Commanders:  Col.  James  Bowie,  Kentucky;  Lieut. 
Col.  W.  B.  Travis,  South  Carolina. 

Aide  de  Camp:    Charles  Despalier. 

Lieutenant  Adjutant:    J.  G.  Baugh. 

Master  of  Ordnance:  Robert  Evans  (Ireland). 

Lieutenant  Quartermaster:     Elias  Melton. 

Assistant  Quartermasters:    Anderson  and  Burnell. 

Sergeant  Major:    Williamson. 

Surgeons :    D.  Michison,  Amos  Pollard, — Thompson. 

Colonels:  J.  Washington,  Tennessee;  J.  B.  Bonham, 
South  Carolina. 

Captains:  Forsyth,  New  York;  Harrison,  Tennes- 
see; William  Blazeley,  Louisiana;  W.  C.  M.  Baker, 
Mississippi;  S.  B.  Evans,  W.  R.  Carey,  S.  C.  Blair, 
Texas;  —  Gilmore,  Tennessee;  Robert  White. 

Lieutenants:  Almaron  Dickenson,  John  Jones,  Lou- 
isiana (N.  O.  Greys) ;  George  C.  Kimbell. 

Ensign:    Green  B.  Jemison,  South  Carolina. 

Privates:  David  Crockett,  Texas;  E.  Nelson,  Nacog- 
doches;  —  Nelson,  Texas;  W.  H.  Smith,  Georgia; 
Lewis  Johnson,  Pennsylvania ;  E.  T.  Mitchell,  Georgia ; 
F.  Desangue,  Pennsylvania;  Thruston  (or  Thurston), 
Kentucky;  —  Moore,  Christopher  Parker,  Mississippi; 
C.  Huskell  (or  Haskell)  Moses  Rose,  Texas;  John 
Blair,  Texas;  —  Kiddison  (or  Kedeson),  Wm.  Wells, 
Tennessee;  E.  Cummings,  Pennsylvania;  Valentine 
(or  Vuluntine) ,  —  Cockran,  S.  Hallaway,  Isaac  White, 
—  Day,  Robert  Muselman,  New  Orleans;  Robert 
Grossman,  New  Orleans;  I.  G.  Garrett,  New  Orleans; 
Robert  B.  Moore,  New  Orleans;  Richard  Starr,  Eng- 
land; Richard  Dimkin,  England;  W.  Linn,  Massachu- 
setts; —  Hutchinson,  W.  Johnson,  Pennsylvania;  E. 
Nelson,  Geo.  Tumlinson,  William  Deardoff,  Daniel 
Bourne,  England;  —  Ingram,  England;  W.  T.  Lewis, 
Wales;  Chas.  Zanco,  Denmark;  Jas.  L.  Ewing,  Robert 
Cunningham,  S.  Burns,  Ireland ;  George  Neggin,  South 
Carolina;  —  Robinson,  Scotland;  —  Harris,  Ken- 
tucky; John  Flanders,  Isaac  Ryan,  Opelousas;  David 
Wilson,  Texas;  John  M.  Hayes,  Tennessee;  —  Stuart, 

—50— 


Navidad,  Texas;  W.  K.  Simpson,  New  Orleans;  W.  D. 
Southerland,  Texas;  D.  W.  Howell,  New  Orleans;  — 
Butler,  Chas.  B.  Smith,  —  McGregor,  Scotland;  — 
Rusk,  —  Hawkins,  Ireland;  Samuel  Holloway,  — 
Brown,  T.  Jackson,  Ireland,  Johnson  Linley,  Mecahjah 
rAutrey,  Lewis  Duel. 

There  was  also  the  Gonzales  contingent,  who  en- 
tered the  Alamo  on  the  eighth  day  of  the  seige,  under 
command  of  Lieutenant  Kimbell.  These  were  James 
George,  Dolphin  Ward,  Tom  Jackson,  G.  W.  Cottle, 
Andrew  Kent,  Thos.  R.  Miller,  Isaac  Baker,  William 
King,  Jesse  McCoy,  Claiborne  Wright,  William  Fish- 
back,  Isaac  Millsapps,  Galba  Fuqua,  John  Davis,  Al- 
bert Martin,  William  Fuhbach  (or  Fabaigh),  —  John, 
B.  A.  M.  Thomas,  John  G.  King,  Isaac  Durst,  M.  L. 
Sewell,  Robert  White,  A.  Devault,  John  Harris,  Da- 
vid Kent,  and  William  E.  Summers,  who  also  perished. 
It  is  stated  that  an  American,  D.  W.  Cloud,  perished 
there. 

Elijio  Losoya,  Jose  M.  Cabrera,  the  two  Esparzas, 
father  and  son,  Jose  Maria  Ximenes  and  a  man  named 
Jacinto,  as  well  as  several  other  Mexican  men  whose 
names  do  not  appear  on  the  list,  who  were  either  em- 
ployes of  the  garrison,  or  members  of  it,  likewise  died 
there  during  its  siege  and  fall. 

BURNING  OF  BODIES  OP  DEFENDERS. 

It  was  a  terrible  slaughter  and  merciless  savagery — 
butchery  done  under  the  pretext  of  warfare.  When  it 
was  done  the  disposition  of  the  dead  was  almost  as 
summary  as  their  deaths  had  been  accomplished.  The 
corpses  of  the  defenders  were  placed  on  two  funeral 
pyres,  each  sixty  feet  long  and  ten  feet  high,  located 
on  what  was  then  known  as  the  Alameda,  each  on  op- 
posite sides  of  it.  One  pyre  was  where  the  Ludlow 
house,  and  the  building  adjoining  it  on  the  East  now 
stand.  The  other  pyre  occupied  a  portion  of  the  site 
of  the  recently  erected  Halff  building  on  East  Com- 
merce street  almost  diagonally  opposite. 

—51— 


Alternate  layers  of  wood  and  corpses  were  placed 
and  the  whole  saturated  with  grease,  principally  tal- 
low, after  which  the  torch  was  applied  to  the  two 
pyres.  They  burned  for  three  days,  during  which 
time  the  bodies  of  the  brave  and  immortal  heroes  were 
so  completely  incinerated  that  nothing  of  them  was 
left  but  a  few  of  the  bones  and  parts  of  several 
skulls.  The  wind  scattered  the  ashes  to  all  points  of 
the  compass. 

Some  of  the  bones  were  buried,  but  no  one  seems 
to  know  exactly  where,  although  some  ascribe  the 
spot  to  the  place  where  the  remains  of  Gillespie  and 
Walker,  killed  in  Mexico  in  an  expedition  that  oc- 
curred some  time  later.  Others  claim  that  they  were 
placed  in  a  single  coffin  and  buried  in  San  Fernando 
Cathedral,  beneath  the  portion  near  the  altar,  but  the 
records  of  this  church  do  not  disclose  such  informa- 
tion. Those  bones,  which  were  buried,  in  all  likeli- 
hood, were  interred  very  close  to  the  pyres  and  at  the 
spots  indicated,  such  as  were  given  burial  being  frag- 
mentary. 

While  the  slaughter  of  the  Texans  had  been  com- 
plete they  did  not  die  before  dealing  terribly  with 
their  executioners'  forces.  Santa  Anna's  force  is 
said  to  have  amounted  to  between  six  and  seven  thou- 
sand picked  men  and  seasoned  soldiers,  of  whom  fully 
two  thousand  were  killed  outright  or  so  badly  wounded 
they  died  soon  after,  for  the  aim  of  the  Texans  was 
sure,  and  they  wasted  but  little  of  their  ammunition. 

After  the  battle  Santa  Anna  was  confronted  not 
only  with  the  problem  of  disposing  of  his  dead  oppon- 
ents which  he  did  as  described,  summarily,  but  of  get- 
ting rid  of  his  own  slain.  At  first  attempts  were 
made  to  bury  them,  but  the  task  was  so  huge  that 
most  of  the  bodies  of  the  Mexican  troops  were  thrown 
into  the  San  Antonio  river,  and  for  days  choked  its 
flow  and  lodged  in  its  bends,  causing  a  great  stench 
that  permeated  the  atmosphere  for  days  and  even 
weeks  after  the  siege  was  over. 

—52— 


Santa  Anna,  in  his  official  reports,  endeavored  to 
create  the  impression  that  his  loss  had  been  small  and 
was  greatly  exceeded  by  that  of  his  adversaries.  He 
even  went  so  far  as  to  give  the  number  of  the  Tex- 
ans  slain  as  600  when  there  were  less  than  200  of 
them  in  the  town.  He  placed  his  own  loss  at  less  than 
a  hundred,  although  the  Alcalde  Ruiz,  who  had  charge 
of  the  disposition  of  the  dead  Mexicans,  gave  their 
number  as  exceeding  2000. 

MASSACRE  OF  FANINN'S  FORCE. 

Santa  Anna  detached  a  portion  of  his  force,  which 
he  placed  under  the  command  of  Ugartachea  and  sent 
them  almost  immediately  after  the  fall  of  the  Alamo 
to  Goliad  to  deal  similarly  with  the  force  of  Texans 
there  under  Captain  J.  W.  Fannin.  Under  false  pre- 
tenses Fannin's  men  were  lured  from  their  fortress 
and  after  being  surrounded  on  the  prairie  surrender- 
ed, under  assurance  of  Ugartachea  of  being  treated 
as  prisoners  of  war  and  allowed  to  return  to  their 
homes,  but  the  next  day  after  the  surrender,  all  but 
a  very  small  number,  less  than  twenty,  were  taken 
out  and  massacred,  having  first  been  disarmed. 

SAN  JACINTO  AVENGED  THE  ALAMO. 

Santa  Anna  rested  in  San  Antonio  for  a  short  time, 
during  which  he  obtained  reinforcements  and  was  re- 
joined by  Ugartachea.  Then  he  marched  with  his 
combined  columns  in  pursuit  of  the  retreating  Tex- 
ans commanded  by  Houston. 

Four  days  before  the  fall  of  the  Alamo,  the  Con- 
vention held  at  the  town  of  Washington  had  declared 
Texas  a  free  and  independent  nation  and  Republic 
with  Burnett  as  President  and  de  Zavala  as  vice  presi- 
dent. 

But  soon  after  the  holding  of  this  convention  the 
news  of  the  disaster  at  San  Antonio  and  Goliad  was 

—53— 


received,  and  the  seat  of  government  removed  from 
Washington  to  Harrisburg.  Houston's  army  had 
reached  the  Brazos  and  crossed  that  stream,  Santa 
'Anna  having  gained  on  him.  Santa  Anna  annihilated 
the  small  settlement  of  Anahuac  and  proceeding  on  so 
closely  pressing  Houstons  army  that  it  by  forced 
marches  with  difficulty  reached  the  bayou  of  San  Ja~ 
cinto,  beyond  which  Houston's  troops  which  had  be- 
come mutinous,  refused  to  longer  retreat. 

President  Burnet  had  narrowly  escaped  capture  in 
flight  from  Harrisburg  in  a  small  boat  to  Galveston. 
Fortunately  Houston's  quartermaster,  Raquet,  had 
captured  from  Santa  Anna'  train  a  considerable  quan- 
tity of  provisions  and  some  beeves,  this  being  the  first 
food  the  Texans  had  eaten  for  two  days  during  their 
retreat.  Houston  rode  up  and  down  their  line,  ha- 
ranguing them  and  promising  them  to  give  them  all 
the  fighting  they  wanted  within  a  few  hours.  He 
began  to  make  preparations  for  battle.  Over-confi- 
dent, Santa  Anna  took  his  usual  afternoon  siesta,  as 
did  his  staff  and  most  of  his  soldiers.  The  others 
were  busy  with  camp,  culinary  and  other  routine 
duties  not  of  military  character.  They  were  very 
loosely  guarding  their  camp.  Sherman  and  Lamar, 
receiving  Houston's  permission,  made  a  feint  with 
cavalry  to  draw  a  charge  from  the  enemy,  who  fell 
into  the  trap  and  charged  close  up  to  Houston's  lines, 
when  the  Texans  opened  up  on  them  with  two  pieces 
of  artillery  known  as  the  "Twin  Sisters,"  hurling  the 
Mexicans  back  upon  their  own  camp  in  confusion. 
The  Texans  followed  them  in  close  pursuit,  shouting 
their  battle-cry:  "Remember  the  Alamo!"  "Remem- 
ber Goliad!"  The  Mexicans  were  awakened  from 
slumber,  and  most  of  them  fled  in  confusion  into  the 
swamps  and  morasses.  Many  were  killed  and  wound- 
ed and  the  balance  taken  prisoners,  except  a  very 
small  force  which  escaped  and  swiftly  marched  back 
to  San  Antonio.  The  victory  of  the  Texans  was  com- 
plete. Three  days  later  Santa  Anna,  disguised  in  a 

—54— 


dirty  white  suit  and  straw  hat,  was  captured  and 
brought  in.  Houston  was  being  dressed  when  Santa 
Anna  was  brought  before  him.  Santa  Anna  made  a 
weak  attempt  to  explain  the  butchery  at  the  Alamo  and 
the  massacre  at  Goliad.  Houston's  staff  and  soldiers 
clamored  for  Santa  Anna's  execution,  but  Houston 
magnanimously  spared  Santa  Anna's  life,  released  him 
on  his  parole  and  permitted  him  to  go,  after  Santa 
Anna  had  recognized  the  new  Texas  Repuolic.  But 
Santa  Anna,  as  his  brother-in-law  Cos  had  done  be- 
fore, and  was  captured  again  at  San  Jacinto,  broke 
his  parole  and  agreement  and  did  not  remain  idle 
long.  He  and  the  shattered  remnants  of  his  power- 
ful army  of  fully  4,000  men,  which  had  been  defeated 
by  about  700  Texans,  went  back  to  Mexico,  from 
whence  Santa  Anna  sent  his  legions  back  again  to 
San  Antonio. 

INDLAN  DEPRADATIONS. 

Meanwhile,  the  Indians  had  become  very  trouble- 
some. They  had  murdered  many  settlers,  carried  off 
their  stock  and  some  of  their  children,  and  were  get- 
ting bolder  all  the  time.  They  had  violated  three 
different  promises  to  restore  the  captives  after  re- 
ceiving ransom  money,  ammunition  and  other  gifts. 
On  March  18,  1840,  sixty-five  Comanche  Indians  came 
into  San  Antonio,  bringing  with  them  three  children 
captives,  Mary  Lockhart,  a  white  boy  named  Webster, 
and  a  Mexican  boy,  and  claimed  the  ransom  that  had 
been  promised  if  they  should  return  all  of  the  captives 
they  had  taken.  They  were  told  they  must  bring 
in  all  of  the  captives,  and  that  until  they  did  so  seven 
of  their  chiefs  and  warriors  would  be  held  as  hostages. 
Immediately  they  set  upon  the  whites  and  slew  several 
before  the  latter  realized  the  turn  affairs  had  taken. 
The  whites  then  began  to  shoot  down  the  Indians, 
who  were  attempting  to  escape,  and  killed  most  of 
them,  except  some  squaws  and  the  hostages  being 

-55— 


held,  very  few  escaping.  One  squaw  was  sent  back  to 
notify  the  tribe  of  what  had  occurred  and  to  tell  its 
head  to  return  the  balance  of  the  captives.  When  the 
squaw  appeared  and  told  the  tidings,  the  Indians  set 
upon  all  of  the  captives,  but  two,  who  had  been 
adopted  by  childless  chiefs,  slew  them  and  were  so 
incensed  against  the  Texans  after  that  they  never  at- 
tempted to  enter  into  any  other  treaty  with  them  at 
San  Antonio,  and  never  came  back  except  on  forays. 

INVASION  BY  VASQUEZ. 

Defeat  had  rankled  in  the  breasts  of  Santa  Anna 
and  his  cohorts.  They  had  been  very  bitter  over  the 
loss  of  territory  and  still  claimed  all  Texas  west  of 
the  Colorado  River.  In  1842  a  force  of  600  men, 
under  Vasquez,  was  mustered  by  Santa  Anna  and  sent 
back  to  San  Antonio,  with  instructions  to  recapture 
this  city.  Vasquez  and  his  troops  arrived  on  March 
5,  1842,  and  demanded  of  Colonel  Jack  Hays,  in  com- 
mand of  the  Texas  garrison,  the  surrender  of  San 
Antonio.  Hays'  force  was  so  much  smaller  than  that 
of  Vasquez  it  was  deemed  prudent  for  it  to  retire  and 
permit  Vasquez  to  take  formal  possession,  which  these 
Mexicans  did.  They  did  not  molest  the  citizens  or 
their  property  and  only  remained  two  days,  or  long 
enough  to  rest  their  force,  when  they  retired  and 
returned  to  Mexico,  doubtless  realizing  it  would  not 
take  long  for  the  Texans  to  send  a  force  sufficient  to 
drive  them  out  or  capture  the  invaders. 

No  more  Mexican  troops  came  back  to  San  Antonio 
until  September,  1842,  when,  on  the  10th  of  that 
month  the  Mexican  General  Waul,  or  Woll,  arrived 
with  a  force  of  1,500.  The  day  was  foggy  and  the 
inhabitants  did  not  realize  the  immense  disparity  in 
numbers  between  themselves  and  the  enemy.  The 
Texans  fired  on  the  Mexicans,  killing  twelve  and 
wounding  several,  whereupon  Waul  promptly  sent 
Colonel  Carasco  under  a  flag  of  truce  to  demand  the 
immediate  and  unconditional  surrender  of  the  city. 

—56— 


Samuel  A.  Maverick,  Sr.,  Jones  and  Van  Ness  were 
cent  out  to  parley  with  Carasco  and  Waul,  who  would 
hear  no  explanation  and  held  them  prisoners.  The 
ans  were  very  indignant  and,  mustering  as  many 
men  as  they  could,  marched  out  and  were  attacked  by 
the  Mexicans.  In  the  brief  engagement  that  followed 
the  Texans  were  enabled  to  escape  without  serious 
loss,  after  inflicting  heavy  loss  on  Waul's  troops,  who 
entered  the  city. 

The  Texans  camped  in  a  ravine  near  the  Salado 
and  Waul  sent  out  a  large  force  next  morning  to  at- 
tack and  dislodge  them. 

DAWSON  MASSACRE. 

This  force  intercepted  and  attacked  a  force  of  thir- 
ty-three Texans  under  the  command  of  Captain  Daw- 
son  on  their  way  to  join  forces  with  Captain  Caldwell. 
Dawson  and  most  of  his  men  were  killed  in  the  fight 
that  then  occurred,  only  two  of  Dawson's  men  escap- 
ing, but  they  killed  many  of  the  Mexicans.  Dawson, 
who  had  fought  at  San  Jacinto,  raised  a  flag  of  truce 
to  make  terms  of  surrender,  but  the  Mexicans  would 
not  recognize  the  flag  and  slew  those  bearing  it  and 
all  others  they  encountered. 

PEROTE  AND  MIER  PRISONERS. 

Maverick,  Jones,  Twohig,  Trueheart,  Van  Ness  and 
some  sixty  other  well-known  citizens  and  officials  of 
San  Antonio  were  arrested,  marched  off  on  foot  next 
day  by  Waul  and  his  troops  to  Mexico.  They  were 
placed  in  Perote  Prison,  where  they  were  held  for 
more  than  two  years  and  until  their  release  was 
finally  secured  through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
American  Ambassador,  General  Waddy  Thompson, 
Twohig,  one  of  them,  having  cleverly  made  his  escape 
with  several  others  by  tunneling  through  the  stone 

—57— 


wall,  swimming  the  moat  and  taking  a  carriage  to 
Vera  Cruz,  from  whence  he  took  passage  on  a  vessel 
and  got  away. 

Meanwhile,  "Big  Foot"  Wallace  and  several  San 
Antonians,  who  had  joined  what  was  known  as  "the 
Mier  expedition/*  had  been  captured  by  the  Mexicans 
and  carried  to  the  prison  at  Mier,  where  a  lottery  of 
life  and  death  was  held.  For  every  ten  white  beans 
placed  in  a  small  sack  a  black  bean  was  placed,  the 
total  number  of  beans  placed  in  the  sack  equaling  the 
total  number  of  the  prisoners.  Those  who  drew  the 
white  beans  were  given  their  lives,  but  the  ones  who 
drew  the  black  ones  suffered  death.  Wallace  drew  a 
white  bean,  but  magnanimously  gave  it  to  a  boy  pris- 
oner, who  had  drawn  a  black  one.  His  act  of  chiv- 
alry won  such  admiration  that  Wallace,  too,  was 
given  his  life.  A  monument  erected  at  La  Grange, 
from  which  place  several  members  of  the  Mier  expe- 
dition went  to  death,  honors  the  memory  and  contains 
the  names  of  all  of  those  who  perished  in  this  terrible 
tragedy. 

TEXAS  CHANGES  FROM  NATION  TO  STATE. 

Texas  remained  a  nation  nine  years  and  in  1845  was 
annexed  by  consent  of  her  people  to  the  United  States 
as  one  of  her  states.  Out  of  this  annexation  and  resent- 
ment of  it  by  Mexico  and  frequent  depredations  by 
Mexico  upon  the  people  and  property  of  this  state  the 
United  States  reluctantly  was  embroiled  and  precipi- 
tated the  Mexican  war,  which  lasted  for  nearly  three 
years.  During  this  war  but  two  of  the  prominent  en- 
gagements were  fought  on  Texas  soil.  These  were  the 
battles  of  Palo  Alto,  or  "Tall  Tree,"  and  Resaca  de  la 
Palma,  or  the  "Palm  Tree  Bayou,"  both  between  Point 
Ysabel  and  Brownsville,  on  the  Mexican  border,  and  in 
both  of  which  the  United  States  was  victorious,  as  in  all 
other  prominent  battles  of  that  war  on  Mexican  soil. 

Mexico  was  compelled  to  cede  to  the  United  States 

—58— 


not  only  all  of  the  territory  previously  wrested  from  her 
by  the  Texans,  but  upper  California,  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico. 

Up  to  this  time  San  Antonio  had  been  under  the 
Spanish,  French,  the  Constitutionalist,  the  Mexican  and 
the  Texas  Republic  flags  and  then  came  under  the 
United  States  "Star  Spangled  Banner." 

TEXAS  SECEDES  FROM  THE  UNION. 

Among  the  states  to  early  secede  from  the  American 
Federation  was  the  Lone  Star  State,  and  San  Antonio 
went  then  under  the  star  and  bar  flag  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy.  The  Federal  commander,  General  Twiggs, 
surrendered  the  city  to  the  Confederate  Commissioners, 
Maverick,  Devine  and  Luckett,  being  permitted  to 
march  his  force  out  with  their  arms.  Many  of  the 
United  States  army  officers  stationed  in  Texas  had  pre- 
viously resigned  their  commands  and  joined  those  of 
the  Confederacy,  most  prominent  among  these  being 
Robert  E.  Lee,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  Hood  and  Van 
Dorn,  who  became  general  officers  and  conspicuous 
figures  in  history.  Lee  and  Johnston  had  been  sta- 
tioned in  San  Antonio  and  left  here  to  join  the  forces 
of  the  Confederacy. 

By  a  singular  coincidence  the  last  battle  of  the  Civil 
War,  as  the  first  one  in  the  Mexican  War  had  been, 
was  fought  on  Texas  soil  and  the  two  battlefields  were 
but  very  few  miles  apart,  both  near  Point  Ysabel.  The 
last  battle,  which  resulted  in  success  for  the  Confed- 
erates, took  place  nearly  three  weeks  after  Lee  had 
surrendered  to  Grant  at  Appomatox,  of  which  fact  the 
Confederate  forces  were  ignorant  and  probably  the 
Federals  as  well,  the  successful  Confederate  command- 
er, Colonel  "Rip"  Ford,  receiving  the  tidings  of  the 
downfall  of  the  Confederacy  by  courier  several  days 
after  his  victory,  the  news  coming  by  courier,  there 
then  being  no  telegraphic  communication  in  that  re- 
gion. 

—59— 


SPANISH-AMERICAN  WAR. 

While  there  was  no  fighting  in  San  Antonio  during 
it,  she  contributed  very  prominent  contingents  to  the 
Spanish-American  War.  It  was  here  that  the  Rough 
Riders,  Colonel  Roosevelt's  command,  was  organized, 
as  were  the  First  Texas  United  States  Volunteer  Cav- 
alry and  the  Thirty-third  U.  S.  Volunteer  Infantry, 
both  commanded  by  Colonel  Luther  R.  Hare  and  the 
latter  figuring  prominently  in  the  Philippine  campaign. 
The  Belknap  Rifles  and  San  Antonio  Zouaves  formed 
two  very  conspicuous  and  active  companies  in  the  First 
Texas  U.  S.  Volunteer  Infantry  in  Cuba  and  several  of 
the  regiments  of  regulars  were  recruited  to  full  strength 
here  before  going  to  the  field  during  that  brief  but  de- 
cisive campaign.  Garesche  Ord,  the  brave  young  offi- 
cer who  was  treacherously  stabbed  by  a  Spaniard  while 
giving  him  a  drink  from  Ord's  canteen,  as  the  latter 
bent  over  the  Spaniard,  was  a  San  Antonian.  The  first 
troops  to  fight  in  the  Philippines  were  soldiers  sent 
from  San  Antonio.  In  proportion  to  her  population  she 
contributed  more  troops  to  this  war  than  did  any  other 
city  of  the  Union,  just  as  she  had  during  the  Civil  War. 


—60— 


The  Famous  Missions 


t 


The  Alamo 
Mission  Concepcion 
Mission  5an  Jose 
Mission  5an  Juan 
Mission  De  La  Lspada 
5an  Fernando  Cathedral 


t 


ORIGIN  AND  OBJECT 


THE  FAMOU5  MISSIONS 


All  of  the  old  missions  located  in  this  vicinity  were 
established  by  the  Franciscan  Friars,  monks  of  the 
Catholic  faith,  who  came  to  this  vicinity  first  about 
1690  or  1691.  The  Alamo,  or  Mission  of  San  Antonio 
de  Valero,  being  the  first  one  founded.  Its  history  has 
been  previously  given  in  this  Guide. 

There  is  a  chain  of  these  old  Missions  along  the  San 
Antonio  river  extending  all  the  way  from  San  Antonio 
as  far  as  Kef  ugio,  the  Mission  of  La  Bahia,  at  Goliad, 
being  the  most  historic  after  the  Alamo,  on  account  of 
being  the  place  where  Fannin's  force  was  located  and 
from  whence  its  members  were  marched  out  to  be  mas- 
sacred shortly  after  the  garrison  of  the  Alamo  had  been 
butchered. 

CONCEPCION  MISSION. 

The  title  of  this  mission  is  El  Mission  de  la  Nuestra 
Senora  de  la  Concepcion  Purissima  de  Acuna,  having 
been  named  after  the  Virgin  Mary  and  the  Spanish 
Viceroy,  Don  Juan  de  Acuna.  It  is  generally  alluded  to 
as  the  Second  Mission,  the  Alamo  being  the  first.  It 
was  built  in  1731,  the  style  of  architecture  in  it,  as  in 
all  others,  having  originally  been  Moresque.  It  faces 
the  west  and  has  twin  towers,  each  with  belfries.  Above 
the  main  portal  the  coat  of  arms  is  contained  in  a  tri- 
angle. The  stone  work  is  covered  with  cement.  The 
altar  is  of  stone  and  there  is  a  large  baptismal  fount  in 
the  south  room  near  the  main  entrance.  This  building, 
as  has  been  the  case  with  all^of  its  companions,  the  other 
missions  groups,  has  been  denuded  of  most  of  its  orna- 
mental features  by  the  impious  hands  of  vandals  who 
have  carried  away  many  of  the  characteristic  objects. 

—63— 


The  church  of  this  mission  is  joined  by  a  pile  of  other 
buildings  in  which  the  monks  and  their  protoges  lodged 
and  worked.  A  large  irrigation  ditch  ran  through  the 
grounds  and  watered  the  soil  which  was  tilled  by  them* 
The  entire  establishment  was  originally  surrounded  by 
a  high  stone  wall,  which  was  a  protection  against  hos- 
tile Indians,  as  well  as  a  means  of  holding  the  live  stock 
and  separating  them  from  the  gardens  and  crops.  Ir- 
rigation was  extensively  practiced  in  those  days.  The 
monks  raised  all  of  their  own  vegetables  and  also  mar- 
keted the  surplus  in  the  settlements  about  them. 

Numerous  engagements  occurred  in  and  around  this 
and  the  other  missions  in  this  vicinity,  most  of  them 
having  been  encounters  with  hostile  Indians.  Some 
of  them  were  conflicts  between  the  Spaniards  and 
French,  and  others  occurred  during  the  war  between 
the  Texans  and  Mexicans,  the  most  memorable  of  the 
latter  having  been  the  battle  described  in  a  previous 
chapter. 

The  force  of  Ugartachea,  one  of  Santa  Anna's 
generals,  camped  there  on  the  way  to  San  Antonio 
and  when  it  came  to  Goliad.  The  Texans  camped 
there  during  several  periods  of  their  revolution.  It 
is  two  and  a  half  miles  below  the  city  and  east  of  the 
San  Antonio  River. 

SAN  JOSE  MISSION. 

or  the  third  mission,  whose  proper  title  is  "El  Mission 
de  San  Jose  de  Aguayo,"  is  named  for  St.  Joseph  and 
the  Spanish  governor,  the  Marquis  de  Aguayo.  It 
was  originally  the  most  beautiful  of  all  of  these  mis- 
sions. It  was  designed  by  the  famous  Spanish  archi- 
tect and  sculptor,  Huisar.  There  was  a  profusion  of 
statuary  representing  the  Holy  Family  in  niches  on 
the  front,  as  well  as  in  the  interior  of  the  church,  but 
vandals  either  destroyed  or  carried  away  all  of  them 
and  almost  everything  else  they  could  take  away. 
This  mission  was  founded  in  1720,  but  was  not  com- 


I 


l\ 

<  u 

u  5 

8? 


pleted  until  1728.  It  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of 
and  about  half  a  mile  from  the  San  Antonio  River. 
It  is  about  six  miles  south  of  San  Antonio.  A  window 
in  the  the  south  wall  is  considered  the  most  beautiful 
specimen  of  architecture  in  the  United  States  and  has 
been  copied  in  many  modern  structures.  Most  of  the 
buildings  forming  the  group  comprising  this  mission 
are  of  stone  and  concrete,  but  a  portion  of  it,  consist- 
ing of  a  series  of  numerous  arches,  is  made  of  red 
brick,  probably  the  first  kiln-baked  brick  ever  manu- 
factured hereabouts.  The  clay  from  which  they  were 
made  came  undoubtedly  from  the  vicinity  of  the  Me- 
dina River,  about  seven  miles  distant. 

This  mission  has  a  single  tower,  which  was  origi- 
nally reached  by  a  massive  oak  spiral  stairway,  which 
has  disappeared  (and  is  said  to  have  been  stolen  and 
sold  to  someone  in  New  York  for  $1,000).  There  was 
also  a  cedar  ladder,  which  likewise  has  been  stolen 
and  has  gone,  no  one  knows  where.  This  tower  was 
used  as  a  lookout  to  avoid  surprises  by  Indians.  It 
was  used  for  this  purpose  as  late  as  1878  of  the  last 
century.  From  it  an  excellent  view  of  San  Antonio 
and  the  surrounding  country  can  be  obtained,  but  it 
is  difficult  now  to  reach  the  tower.  This  mission  had 
the  largest  church  of  any  except  the  chapel  of  the 
Alamo  had,  but  the  church  is  now  in  ruins  and  the 
mass  is  celebrated  in  one  of  the  smaller  rooms.  There 
is  a  settlement  of  about  200  inhabitants  around  it, 
nearly  all  of  them  Mexicans,  who  labor  in  the  fields 
or  are  teamsters  in  the  vicinity. 

MISSION  OF  SAN  JUAN. 

The  next,  or  fourth,  mission  is  that  whose  title  is 
"El  Mission  de  San  Juan  de  Capistrano,"  named  for 
St.  John  and  founded  in  1716.  It  is  in  a  ruinous  state, 
but  enough  of  the  group,  and  especially  the  chapel,  is 
left  to  show  its  original  contour.  It  is  in  the  river 
valley  and  almost  on  the  edge  of  the  San  Antonio 

—65— 


River's  west  bank,  near  what  was  formerly  Berg's 
Mill,  about  nine  miles  south  of  San  Antonio. 

ESPADA  MISSION. 

The  fifth,  or  last,  of  the  old  Franciscan  missions, 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  San  Antonio,  is  the  one 
about  eleven  miles  south  of  the  city  and  also  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river,  and  known  as  the  Espada  Mis- 
sion. Its  proper  title  is  the  Mission  of  St.  Francis  of 
the  Sword  ("San  Francisca  de  Espada").  It  is  said 
originally  to  have  been  located  on  the  Medina  River, 
about  three  miles  west  of  its  present  location,  and  to 
have  been  built  there  in  1698,  but  this  is  not  authenti- 
cated by  the  records  of  the  Catholic  Church.  It  was 
built  on  its  present  site  in  1716,  destroyed  by  the  In- 
dians, and  rebuilt  in  1730.  It  is  in  a  very  dilapidated 
state,  and  Bishop  Shaw,  the  Catholic  bishop  of  the 
San  Antonio  diocese,  is  making  efforts  to  secure  the 
restoration  and  preservation  of  this  and  all  of  the 
other  missions  named  which  belong  to  the  church.  If 
this  can  be  done,  a  grand  work  will  have  been  accom- 
plished. These  missions  should  be  zealously  guarded 
against  the  hands  of  relic-hunters  and  other  vandals. 

The  four  missions  below  the  city  can  be  reached 
either  by  hacks  or  autos.  Large  tourist  cars  make 
regular  trips  to  them  daily,  twice  a  day,  and  the  mis- 
sions are  open  to  the  public.  Accompanying  these 
tourist  automobiles  are  persons  who  attempt  to  give 
the  histories  of  the  missions,  but  what  they  do  not 
know  about  San  Antonio  and  her  missions  and  their 
history  is  amazing.  One  of  the  glaring  misstatements 
is  that  these  missions  are  connected  by  underground 
tunnels.  All  of  the  missions  have  cellars,  or  under- 
ground chambers,  but  none  of  them  are  connected  by 
subterranean  chambers  or  passages.  Occasionally, 
when  excavations  are  made  in  and  around  the  city, 
conduits  are  found,  'which  were  originally  the  ditches 
(or  acequias)  used  for  irrigation  purposes  in  the  city 

—66— 


and  at  and  around  the  missions.  These  ditches  were 
all  walled  and  the  bottoms  lined  with  stone  to  keep 
them  from  eroding.  These  ditches  have  been  mis- 
taken for  underground  passages,  about  which  numer- 
ous grewsome  and  purely  imaginary  stories  have  been 
told. 

A  Catholic  church,  which  has  been  confounded  with 
the  missions,  is  the  old  San  Fernando  Church,  now 
the  Catholic  Cathedral.  Originally  it  was  all  of  Mo- 
resque architecture,  but  the  front  portion  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  When  that  portion  was  rebuilt,  mod- 
ern and  composite  architecture  was  substituted.  The 
church  presents  the  novel  spectacle  of  the  blending  of 
the  two  styles.  One  portion  of  the  edifice  dates  back 
to  the  year  1732,  while  the  other  is  a  little  over  half 
a  century  old;  and  part  of  it,  one  of  the  towers,  has 
not  been  built  more  than  a  double  decade. 

It  is  the  geographical  center  of  the  city  of  San  An- 
tonio, and  from  its  original  single  tower  the  flags  of 
Spain,  France,  Mexico,  and  first  the  red  and  then  the 
black  flag  of  Santa  Anna  floated.  Beneath  its  altar 
some  of  the  church  dignitaries  and  Spanish  officials 
were  buried  many  years  ago.  The  remains  of  some  of 
these  still  repose  there.  The  interior  of  this  church 
is  handsome.  It  has  several  specimens  of  sculpture 
and  many  paintings  of  sacred  subjects,  and  the  main 
altar  is  an  artistic  piece  of  workmanship.  The  other 
subsidiary  altars  are  also  ornamented  elaborately,  and 
this  is  the  largest  and  handsomest  of  all  of  the  many 
Catholic  churches  in  San  Antonio.  In  it  are  kept  the 
Catholic  baptismal  and  funeral  records  of  the  city 
parishioners  of  this  church  for  the  past  century  and 
three-quarters.  For  many  years  the  priests  and  the 
bishops  lived  in  rooms  above  the  rear  portion  of  the 
church,  but  when  Bishop  J.  C.  Neraz  succeeded  Bishop 
Pellicer  the  residence  of  the  priests  was  removed  to 
where  St.  Theresa's  School  on  Dwyer  Avenue  now  is. 
Bishop  Shaw  has  his  residence  at  Santa  Rosa  In- 
firmary. 

—67— 


THE  CHAPEL  OF  MIRACLES. 

What  is  known  as  "El  Capilla  de  las  Miragolas"  or 
"Chapel  of  Miracles"  is  another  quite  interesting  place 
for  visitors  to  inspect.  It  is  located  on  Ruiz  Street 
not  far  from  San  Pedro  Creek  and  North  Laredo 
Street.  It  can  be  reached  by  the  West  End  car  line, 
leaving  the  car  as  it  turns  into  Ruiz  Street.  Many 
miracles  are  ascribed  to  this  old  Chapel.  Formerly  it 
was  located  on  Dolorosa  Street  near  Main  Plaza,  but 
the  property  on  which  it  was  originally  situated  was 
sold  in  the  sixty's  of  the  last  century.  Soon  after- 
wards it  was  removed  to  its  present  location.  There 
at  all  times  devotees  may  be  seen  in  attitudes  of 
prayer  supplicating  for  some  Devine  gift  for  them- 
selves or  others.  Many  valuable  votive  offerings 
have  been  made  to  this  Chapel  by  persons  whose  pray- 
ers have  been  said  to  have  been  answered  or  should 
have  been  desirous  of  having  them  granted.  The 
structure  is  small,  not  more  than  thirty  feet  in 
breadth  and  forty  feet  in  length.  Its  altar  ornaments 
are  handsome.  Candles  constantly  burn  on  the  altars, 
these  candles  being  votive  offerings  of  the  pious  flock 
in  attendance. 

OLD  AQUEDUCT. 

One  of  the  very  interesting  objects  to  be  seen  in 
the  vicinity  of  San  Antonio  is  the  old  aqueduct  built 
by  the  Spanish  monks  to  carry  water  from  one  of  the 
irrigation  ditches  across  and  above  the  San  Antonio 
River.  This  aqueduct,  or  flume,  is  located  about  ten 
miles  below  the  city  and  a  short  distance  this  side  of 
the  Espada  Mission.  It  is  between  that  mission  and 
the  San  Juan  Mission,  and  is  in  a  good  state  of  repair. 

In  the  days  when  the  missions  were  founded,  and 
for  many  years  thereafter,  water  was  much  more  valu- 
able about  here  than  land.  The  land  then  only  became 
valuable  by  reason  of  the  service  performed  by  the 

-68— 


system  of  acequias,  or  irrigation  ditches,  in  furnishing 
water  for  use  in  connection  with  the  cultivation  of  the 
land.  The  irrigation  ditches  took  water  from  the  San 
Antonio  River  and  the  San  Pedro,  both  of  which  were 
then  great,  bold  streams,  furnishing  many  millions  of 
gallons  of  water  per  day  to  these  acequias,  besides  the 
immense  flow  that  formed  their  main  volume. 

The  system  of  ditches  was  elaborate  and  efficient, 
furnishing  not  only  aqueduct  and  ditch  an  abundance 
of  water  for  the  communities  in  the  missions  proper, 
but  for  the  settlements  around  them  and  about  the 
city.  Cultivation  by  means  of  this  irrigation  was  car- 
ried on  extensively  and  many  vegetable  products  were 
profitably  grown. 

Each  tract  of  land  along  the  ditches  had  water 
rights,  entitling  the  owner  to  so  many  hours  of  water 
service  during  the  month ;  and  these  water  rights  were 
very  valuable.  The  tolls  for  the  water  service  were 
collected  by  the  Spanish  Government,  later  by  the 
Mexican  and  finally  by  the  Texas  and  local  officials. 
The  cultivation  of  various  substances  by  artificial 
means  was  practiced  in  San  Antonio  until  the  water 
supply  was  sapped  so  that  the  river  and  ditches  al- 
most ceased  to  flow  and  the  volume  of  the  flow  shrunk 
to  insignificance.  The  ditches  were  then  pronounced 
a  menace  to  public  health.  Most  of  them  were  aban- 
doned and  filled  up.  Much  of  the  land  that  was  culti- 
vated by  means  of  irrigation  in  San  Antonio  was  con- 
verted into  city  lots  and  dwellings  and  other  buildings 
erected  on  them.  Wherever  irrigation  is  now  con- 
ducted in  and  around  the  city,  it  is  done  by  means  of 
artesian  wells.  The  artesian  wells  have  entirely  sup- 
planted the  irrigation  ditches.  The  artesian  wells 
furnish  water  for  all  purposes,  household  as  well  as 
cultivation,  and  the  old  irrigation  ditches  have  become 
but  a  memory. 

The  ditches  were  in  use  before  San  Antonio  had  any 
other  waterworks  system.  The  water  then  was  pure  and 
undefiled.  It  was  as  clear  and  sparkling  as  crystal. 

—69— 


People  drank  it  and  used  it  in  connection  with  culi- 
nary purposes.  It  was  a  very  serious  offense  to  cast 
any  object  into  the  river,  the  creek  or  any  of  the 
ditches,  and  such  offense  was  always  punished  by 
heavy  fine  and  frequently  by  imprisonment.  The 
volume  of  all  the  streams  was  so  large,  and  the  flow 
so  bold,  that  they  purified  themselves  and  kept  sweet 
and  healthful. 

A  profusion  of  fruits  and  an  abundance  of  vege- 
tables grew  wherever  irrigation  was  practiced,  and 
those  who  cultivated  them  made  excellent  profits.  For- 
merly San  Antonio  raised  all  of  the  vegetables  and 
fruits  sold  in  her  markets. 

Many  beautiful  flowers  grew  along  the  banks  of  the 
streams  and  irrigation  ditches.  They  were  fragrant 
and  delighted  the  people  on  whose  premises  they 
grew,  as  well  as  the  passerby. 

The  principal  ditches  were  the  Madre  (or  Mother 
ditch) ,  the  Upper  and  Lower  Labor  ditches,  the  Apa- 
latchie,  the  Alazan,  the  Flores  Street,  the  Alamo,  the 
San  Pedro  and  others,  which,  together  with  their  lat- 
erals or  branches,  formed  a  system  aggregating  sev- 
eral hundred  miles  in  length. 

It  seems  a  great  pity  that  such  a  mammoth  and 
magnificent  system  has  been  almost  entirely  obliter- 
ated. These  ditches  added  considerably  to  the  reve- 
nue of  the  city,  as  well  as  to  the  profit  of  those  own- 
ing property  contiguous  to  them.  But  they  are  gone 
irretrievably.  Only  the  ruins  of  them  are  to  be  seen 
occasionally.  Formerly  they  defined  boundary  lines, 
which  are  apt  to  become  confused  since  these  ditches 
have  been  filled  and  their  sources  effaced. 

There  was  a  charm  about  them  that  can  not  be  re- 
placed, even  by  the  artesian  waterflow.  The  older  in- 
habitants associate  them  with  recollections  of  pros- 
perity that  prevailed  during  the  time  when  the  ditches 
and  purses  of  the  populace  both  were  full. 


-70— 


HISTORIC  HOUSES. 

The  families  of  the  settlers  from  the  Canary  Islands 
were  allotted  grants  for  residences  around  the  three 
sides  of  the  Main  Plaza  and  the  east  and  south  sides 
of  the  Military  Plaza.  The  north  side  of  the  Main,  as 
well  as  the  north  and  west  sides  of  the  Military  Plazas, 
having  originally  been  reserved  for  the  residences  and 
establishments  of  the  military  forces  and  the  civil  and 
military  officials  of  the  city  during  the  Spanish  and 
Mexican  dominations. 

The  original  name  given  the  Main  Plaza  was  that 
of  "El  Plaza  de  las  Islas,"  or  the  Plaza  of  the  Islands, 
in  honor  of  those  who  came  from  the  Canaries.  Among 
the  old  Spanish  families  who  lived  about  the  Military 
Plaza,  or  "Plaza  de  las  Armas,"  were  the  Flores,  Del- 
gados,  Perez,  Rodriguez,  Urrutia  and  Bargas;  while 
about  the  Main  Plaza  lived  the  descendants  of  the 
Bethancpurts,  Arochas,  Cubelos,  Leals,  Guardos,  An- 
ieze,  Alina,  D'Armas,  Montez  de  Ocha,  Rosas,  Mar- 
tinez, Bustillos,  De  Sotos,  Yturri,  Granados  and  Bar- 
rera,  and  others.  Most  of  their  houses  have  disap- 
peared and  given  place  to  modern  structures,  but  there 
are  still  a  very  few  of  the  original  and  ancient  adobe 
structures  of  the  Spaniards,  but  they  are  doomed  to 
soon  disappear. 

None  of  the  original  Spanish  structures  are  left  on 
Alamo  Plaza  except  the  portions  of  the  Alamo  Mis- 
sion still  standing,  on  the  east  side  and  at  the  north- 
east corner,  all  others  having  given  way  to  the  modern 
edifices  filling  that  ancient  plaza. 

Fragments  of  the  early  homes  of  the  American 
residents  remain  in  some  quarters  of  the  city.  Among 
these  is  what  is  left  of  the  old  Jaques  residence,  at 
the  corner  of  Soledad  and  Travis  Streets,  which  was 
also  the  home  of  the  Cupples  family. 

The  old  house  formerly  owned  by  Don  Antonio 
Chavez,  bearing  the  shot  and  bullet  marks  of  the 
combat  between  Milam's  and  Cos*  forces,  is  still  stand- 

—11— 


ing  at  Obraje  and  North  Flores  Streets,  and  some  few 
other  old  residences  yet  remain  as  they  originally  were 
built.  But  most  of  them  have  vanished  like  the  Vera- 
medi  Palace,  the  home  of  the  Garzas,  and  the  dwellings 
of  other  old-time  residents. 

CATHOLIC  CEMETERIES. 

Originally  the  city  cemetery  of  San  Antonio  was 
located  where  Milam  Square  now  is.  At  first  it  was 
devoted  exclusively  to  burial  of  Catholics,  who  com- 
prised then  almost  the  entire  population,  but  later  the 
remains  of  Ben  R.  Milam  and  others  of  different  re- 
ligious faiths  were  placed  there.  For  a  long  time  this 
was  considered  so  far  out  of  town  as  to  render  it 
unsafe  for  a  small  number  of  persons  to  go  there, 
on  account  of  the  pernicious  activity  of  Indians.  But 
later,  as  the  city  grew,  the  Catholics  removed  many 
of  their  dead  from  this  locality  to  the  San  Fernando 
Cemetery,  west  of  the  Alazan  Creek  and  about  a  mile 
and  a  quarter  southwest  of  San  Fernando  Cathedral. 
Later  on  the  Catholics  established  another  cemetery  in 
the  eastern  portion  of  the  city  and  called  it  St.  Mary's 
Cemetery,  it  having  been  established  by  the  members 
of  the  congregation  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  although 
the  dead  of  St.  Joseph's  and  other  Catholic  churches 
are  buried  there. 


—72— 


GOVERNMENT    TOWER    AT    FORT    SAM     HOUSTON 


THE  BRIGADE  PO5T 


Historical  sketch  of  Military  Headquarters 
of  Department  of  Texas,  varied  sec- 
tions, Hospital,  Chapel  donated 
by  citizens,  Arsenal,  Ltc. 


FORT  5AM  HOUSTON 


MILITARY  MATTERS 


SAN  ANTONIO  AN  ARMY  CENTER. 

Military  matters  have  always  figured  prominently  at 
San  Antonio,  ever  since  the  coming  of  the  Spaniards, 
who  were  the  first  to  recognize  it  as  a  strategic  point. 
Its  importance  in  this  regard  has  been  appreciated  by 
the  United  States  Government  ever  since  the  Mexican 
War.  Troops  have  been  mustered  and  maintained  and 
often  mobilized  here  for  emergencies.  For  some  years 
the  Government,  from  1849  to  1878,  leased  from  the 
Catholic  Church  the  old  Alamo  Mission  as  a  depot  for 
military  supplies.  The  old  Vance  property,  where  the 
Gunter  Hotel  now  is,  was  where  the  barracks  were 
until  the  United  States  made  its  first  purchase  of 
property  on  what  is  known  as  Government  Hill.  The 
first  barracks  built  by  the  Government  were  of  lum- 
ber and  erected  in  the  rear  of  the  quarters  of  the 
Department  Commander,  back  from  Grayson  Street, 
while  the  Quartermaster's  quadrangle  was  the  first 
depot  for  supplies  constructed.  Originally,  the  Gov- 
ernment invested  about  $100,000  in  the  barracks  and 
depot.  Later  it  acquired  what  is  termed  "the  Upper 
Post."  Then  the  name,  Fort  Sam  Houston,  was 
given  the  army  post  here,  and  by  this  title  it  has  been 
known  ever  since.  Later  it  acquired  a  large  tract  of 
land  directly  north  of  the  Department  officers'  quar- 
ters and  the  Quartermaster's  quadrangle,  and  still 
later  the  large  tract  directly  east  of  the  Cavalry  and 
Artillery  barracks,  and  has  converted  the  latter  into 
an  immense  maneuver  ground  and  camp  site  for  the 
troops  in  cases  of  emergency.  It  also  purchased  in 
the  vicinity  of  Leon  Springs  a  large  tract  of  land  for 
military  maneuvers  and  target  practice.  The  Govern- 

—75— 


ment  has  something  like  $10,000,000  invested  in  land 
and  buildings  in  and  about  San  Antonio.  The  first 
military  structure  built  here  by  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment was  the  Arsenal  on  South  Flores  Street, 
erected  shortly  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War.  Prior 
to  that  time  the  arsenal  had  been  located  near  the 
river  south  of  Houston  Street,  back  of  where  the  Book 
Building  now  stands.  The  military  headquarters  had 
been  in  the  Veramendi  Palace.  Later  it  was  in  the 
French  Building  at  Dolorosa  Street  and  Dwyer  Ave- 
nue, and  finally  in  the  Maverick  Hotel,  from  whence 
it  was  removed  to  the  present  location  when  the  quad- 
rangle was  built.  Until  the  advent  of  railroads,  many 
military  posts  on  the  frontier  were  garrisoned,  this 
being  necessary  on  account  of  incursions  by  predatory 
savages  and  desperadoes  infesting  that  region.  The 
railways  was  the  great  civilizers  that  drove  away  the 
red  man  and  the  bad  man.  Then  it  became  the  policy 
of  Uncle  Sam  to  concentrate  troops  here  for  use  when 
needed  at  other  points  to  which  they  can  be  dis- 
patched by  rail. 

During  the  Spanish-American  War,  San  Antonio 
was  a  very  important  recruiting  station.  Just  before 
that  period  the  military  department  of  Texas  had  been 
abolished  and  the  department  headquarters  removed 
to  Atlanta.  Soon  after  the  Spanish-American  cam- 
paign the  department  was  restored.  Recently,  San 
Antonio  has  become  the  headquarters  of  a  military 
division  instead  of  a  brigade  headquarters. 

The  United  States  Government  expends  a  great  deal 
of  money  here  for  provisions  and  other  supplies  of 
various  kinds  for  its  troops  and  animals.  It  also  pays 
out  several  millions  yearly  to  the  troops  and  civilian 
employes  on  duty  in  connection  with  the  military  serv- 
ice here,  most  of  this  money  being  spent  in  the  city  of 
San  Antonio. 

MILITARY  PARADES. 

Among  the  most  interesting  spectacles  to  be  seen 
—76— 


here  are  the  parades,  guard  mounts  and  other  mili- 
tary functions  held  at  Fort  Sam  Houston,  which  are 
greatly  enjoyed  by  the  thousands  of  spectators  who 
witness  them.  Most  of  them  can  be  seen  without  hav- 
ing to  walk  very  far  from  the  street  cars,  but  when 
they  are  held  on  the  grand  parade  grounds,  autos  and 
other  vehicles  carry  the  visitors  to  the  vicinity  where 
they  occur. 

Usually,  there  is  a  general  muster  and  grand  review 
at  the  end  of  each  month,  given  on  the  maneuver 
grounds,  when  all  of  the  troops  on  duty,  several  thou- 
sand in  number  and  of  all  arms  of  the  service,  are 
paraded  and  march  in  review  before  the  division  com- 
mander. 

Many  military  chieftains  who  have  acquired  world- 
wide fame  have  served  in  San  Antonio  and  at  the 
frontier  posts  west  and  south  of  here.  Among  them 
have  been  Generals  Zachariah  Taylor,  Harney,  U.  S. 
Grant,  Fred  D.  Grant,  David  Twiggs,  Robert  E.  Lee, 
Kirby  Smith,  Hood,  Albert  Sydney  Johnston,  Merritt, 
Worth,  Reynolds,  E.  O.  C.  Ord,  Shafter,  Mackenzie, 
Stanley,  Phil  Sheridan,  W.  T.  Sherman,  Lawton, 
Wheaton,  MacArthur,  Zenas,  Bliss,  McKibbin,  Gra- 
ham, Whitesidese,  Hare,  J.  G.  C.  Lee  and  others. 

Prior  to  and  during  the  Madero  Mexican  revolution 
10,000  troops  of  various  arms  of  the  service  were 
quartered  here  and  remained  for  several  months.  They 
maneuvered  extensively  and  were  equipped  with  sup- 
plies necessay  for  actual  warfare.  Among  the  most 
interesting  features  of  the  maneuvers  were  the  avia- 
tion scouts  of  the  Signal  Corps  branch  of  the  service. 
The  first  dispatches  to  be  carried  in  regular  military 
service  by  aeroplane  were  those  taken  between  San 
Antonio  and  Leon  Springs.  Signaling  from  aeroplanes 
was  also  done  satisfactorily,  and  also  photographing 
from  them  at  high  altitudes. 

Always  the  military  in  San  Antonio  figures  in  her 
pageantry,  giving  color  and  brilliance  to  it  and  add- 

—77— 


ing  to  its  spectacular  effects.  One  of  the  very  impor- 
tant elements  in  the  city's  existence  is  the  military 
feature. 

San  Antonio  is  soon  to  become  the  largest  military 
post  in  the  Union.  Even  now  she  is  only  second  in 
size  to  the  largest.  When  an  additional  purchase  of 
property,  soon  to  be  made,  has  been  accomplished,  her 
military  area  will  be  greater  than  any  other. 


—78— 


BRACKENRIDGE     PARK 


PLEASANT  DRIVES 


To  Laurel  Heights,  Head 
of  the  River,  Government 
Hill,  the  Hot  Wells  and 
other  suburban  resorts 


DELIGHTFUL  VIEWS 


INTERESTING  DRIVES 


SPLENDID  SUBURBAN  DRIVES. 

San  Antonio  has  very  many  beautiful  suburbs.  Most 
of  them  are  accessible  by  street  car.  All  of  them  are 
accessible  by  auto,  and  all  are  interesting.  Many  of 
them  are  very  beautiful  and  well  worthy  of  visiting. 
Probably  the  most  beautiful  of  all  of  the  suburban 
additions  to  San  Antonio  is  Alamo  Heights.  It  is 
northeast  of  the  city  and  just  above  the  head  of  the 
San  Antonio  River.  It  is  traversed  by  the  Alamo 
Heights- West  End  car  line  and  is  reached  by  way  of 
River  Avenue  and  by  passing  Brackenridge  Park. 

There  are  several  fine  driveways  to  and  through  it. 
Among  these  is  the  fine  roadway  through  Bracken- 
ridge  Park  and  over  the  Heights  to  the  Olmos.  These 
driveways  are  shaded  by  the  forest  oaks  and  other 
trees  that  grow  in  the  park  and  on  the  Heights.  One 
of  the  drives  leads  to  the  Country  Club  and  its  golf 
grounds.  Another  fine  driveway  reaching  Alamo 
Heights  by  the  Country  Club  is  one  going  out  over 
New  Braunfels  Avenue.  There  are  many  handsome 
residences  in  this  suburb.  From  it  a  splendid  view  of 
San  Antonio  can  be  obtained  and  also  an  excellent  one 
of  the  military  posts  and  parade  grounds. 

LAUREL  HEIGHTS. 

Another  very  handsome  subdivision  is  Laurel 
Heights.  It  is  at  a  considerable  elevation  above  the 
city  and  affords  an  excellent  view  of  the  city  and 
valley  below.  In  it  are  very  many  handsome  resi- 
dences of  wealthy  persons,  and  it  is  traversed  by 

—81— 


many  fine  drives  and  roadways.  It  is  reached  by  the 
San  Pedro  Street  car  line.  There  is  also  an  extension 
car  line  to  "Summit"  addition,  where  the  Catholic 
Ecclesiastical  Educational  Institute  is  located. 

On  the  way  to  Laurel  Heights,  Tobin  Hill  is  reached 
either  by  the  San  Pedro  or  the  Tobin  Hill  lines,  and  is 
another  interesting  suburb,  containing  many  hand- 
some residences  and  traversed  by  many  good  streets 
and  driveways.  Camden  Square,  a  very  handsome 
twin  park,  is  along  the  line  of  the  latter  car  system 
and  is  one  of  the  beauty  spots  of  that  portion  of  the 
city  proper.  All  of  Tobin  Hill  lies  within  the  city 
limits,  but  much  of  Laurel  Heights  is  beyond  it. 

Beacon  Hill  is  another  of  the  suburbs  in  the  north- 
ern portion  of  the  city,  which  is  a  beautiful  and  in- 
teresting one.  It  is  northwest  of  San  Antonio,  and 
most  of  it  lies  beyond  the  city  limits.  It  is  reached 
by  the  Beacon  Hill-Nolan  Street  line,  and  contains 
many  handsome  modern  residences.  There  are  several 
fine  driveways  through  it,  among  these  being  the  Fred- 
ericksburg  Road.  The  city  has  built  some  fine  streets 
in  the  lower  portion  of  Beacon  Hill,  and  the  residents 
of  that  suburb  have  constructed  some  on  their  own 
account.  The  Blanco  City  Road  passes  through  the 
extreme  eastern  portion  of  this  suburb  and  west  of 
Alamo  Heights  and  Laurel  Heights,  there  being  a  fine 
loop  driveway,  enabling  anyone  in  an  automobile  to 
visit  all  three  of  these  suburbs. 

One  of  the  very  interesting  suburbs  is  West  End, 
on  the  West  End-Alamo  Heights  line.  In  this  addi- 
tion the  large  and  placid  lake,  that  is  filled  with  many 
specimens  of  waterfowl,  is  situated.  In  this  suburb 
there  are  several  educational  institutions  and  some 
handsome  dwellings.  It  is  also  reached  by  a  drive- 
way that  passes  through  the  southern  portion  of  it. 

West  of  the  city  and  south  of  West  End  is  the  Lake- 
view  Addition,  which  also  contains  a  small  lake  and 
some  handsome  residences.  It  is  reached  by  auto,  and 
from  it  an  excellent  view  of  the  city  is  obtained.  From 

—82— 


there  Prospect  Hill  can  be  reached  by  the  Lakeview 
car  line  extention.  It  is  south  of  Lakeview  and  is  also 
on  the  Southern  Pacific,  M.,  K.  &  T.  and  I.  &  G.  N. 
railway  lines ;  has  some  handsome  residences,  presents 
a  fine  view  of  the  city  below  and  is  an  interesting 
place  to  ride  through. 

South  of  the  city  and  west  of  the  San  Pedro  is 
another  interesting  suburb.  It  is  known  as  Collins 
Gardens,  where  irrigation  by  means  of  artesian  wells 
has  been  practiced  for  several  years  with  considerable 
success,  but  the  gardens  are  being  converted  into  lots 
and  residences  are  being  built  on  them.  It  is  reached 
by  the  Collins  Gardens-Highland  Park  car  line. 

West  of  the  San  Antonio  River,  and  south  of  San 
Antonio,  are  two  interesting  suburbs.  One  of  these  is 
known  as  Harlandale  and  the  other  as  Terrell's  Wells, 
or  San  Jose  Addition,  which  are  reached  by  the  South 
Heights  and  Harlandale  lines  and  the  latter  by  an 
extension  to  Terrell's  Wells.  Terrell's  Wells  and  Har- 
landale furnish  splendid  thermal  and  medicinal  water, 
and  this  spot  is  very  popular  with  invalids  afflicted 
with  muscular  and  cutaneous  diseases.  The  Pleasan- 
ton  and  Sommerset  Roads,  both  good  country  roads, 
pass  close  to  these  wells,  and  the  Corpus  Christi  Road 
passes  through  Harlandale. 

Palm  Heights  is  another  new  suburb  in  the  same 
vicinity  and  reached  by  the  Collins  Gardens-Highland 
Park  car  line  and  the  Sommerset  Road. 

Below  Harlandale  is  the  San  Jose  Mission,  which  is 
on  what  is  called  the  Southern  Loop.  This  loop  is  a 
very  popular  drive  for  tourists  in  autos.  It  connects 
with  the  Roosevelt  Avenue,  the  Presa  Street  and  the 
San  Juan-San  Jose  county  roads  and  the  Corpus 
Christi,  Pleasanton  and  Sommerset  Roads.  Both  the 
San  Jose  and  San  Juan  Missions  are  erached  over  it, 
and  the  Conception  Mission  can  also  be  reached  either 
going  or  returning  over  this  loop. 

By  going  out  South  Presa  Street,  the  Hot  Wells, 
Scheuermeyer's  or  Exposition  Park,  the  Southwestern 


Insane  Asylum  and  the  Missions  San  Juan  and  Es- 
pada  can  be  reached,  there  being  a  fine  driveway  for 
autos  over  this  road,  which  is  known  as  the  San  Juan 
Road.  The  Exposition  Park,  Hot  Wells  and  the  Asy- 
lum can  be  reached  by  the  Hot  Wells  street  car  line, 
which  also  passes  the  International  Fair  Grounds,  ad- 
joining Riverside  Park.  Riverside  Park  has  been  cut 
up  into  residence  properties,  but  the  International 
Fair  Grounds  are  still  kept  open  to  the  public  and  con- 
tain a  splendid  double  race  track,  where  auto  speeding 
is  permitted. 

East  of  the  Fair  Grounds  is  the  Highland  Park  sub- 
division, reached  by  the  Highland  Park-Collins  Gar- 
dens line.  It  has  some  handsome  residences  in  it  and 
is  an  interesting  portion  of  the  city. 

South  Heights,  just  north  of  Highland  Park,  and  on 
the  South  Heights  and  South  Flores  Street  car  line, 
is  a  very  handsome  suburb  and  considered  one  of  the 
healthiest  in  the  city,  as  the  air  reaches  it  during  the 
prevailing  southeast  breezes  from  the  Gulf  before 
passing  over  any  of  the  balance  of  the  city.  In  it  are 
some  pretty  parks  and  handsome  dwellings. 

East  End  is  another  interesting  suburb.  There  is  a 
branch  line  connecting  it  with  South  Heights,  and 
there  is  connection  between  this  suburb  and  the  city 
via  the  Southern  Pacific,  M.,  K.  &  T.  and  I.  &  G.  N. 
railway  car  lines.  It  is  beyond  the  beautiful  ceme- 
teries in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  city  and  is  not  very 
far  from  the  Salado  Creek.  Numerous  driveways  tra- 
verse Highland  Park,  South  Heights  and  East  End. 

There  are  also  numerous  county  roads  which  con- 
nect with  city  streets  and  which  afford  fine  driveways, 
reaching  Mitchell's  Lake,  St.  Hedwig,  Elmendorf, 
Southton,  Helotes,  Selma,  Castroville,  the  Medina  dam 
(the  latter  a  colossal  storage  tank  impounding  the 
Medina  River),  Pleasanton,  La  Coste,  Van  Ormy  and 
other  nearby  places  which  tourists  may  desire  to  visit 
in  autos. 

There  are  over  4,000  public  and  private  automobiles 


in  San  Antonio,  and  riding  in  these  cars  is  a  very 
popular  method  of  transportation  here. 

Autos  can  be  hired  at  various  stands  on  the  plazas 
and  streets  and  at  various  garages,  the  prices  being 
proportionate  to  the  distances  to  be  traveled  and  the 
means  of  the  passengers  to  pay. 

During  portions  of  the  year  the  Traction  Company 
puts  on  sightseeing  cars,  which  traverse  the  principal 
suburbs  and  points  of  interest  in  the  city.  These  cars 
usually  make  two  trips  a  day,  and  the  charge  is  fifty 
cents  for  the  trip  of  about  twenty-five  miles.  Sight- 
seeing autos  also  run  regularly  to  some  of  the  inter- 
esting portions  of  the  city,  charging  fifty  cents,  sev- 
enty-five cents  and  a  dollar,  according  to  the  distance 
traveled  and  time  spent  in  the  journey. 

Hacks  and  carriages  can  be  hired  by  tourists,  and 
all  points  visited.  The  hacks  cost  a  dollar  and  a  half 
per  hour  for  each  passenger  carried  where. hacks  are 
hired  by  the  hour. 

POINTS  OF  INTEREST,  AND  How  REACHED. 

Alamo  Mission  Group — On  Alamo  Plaza;  reached 
by  all  street  cars  except  West  End,  River  Avenue,  Hot 
Wells  and  San  Fernando  and  suburban  lines.  All  cars 
except  suburban  give  transfers  to  Alamo  Plaza. 

Alamo  Heights — Northeastern  part  of  city;  Alamo 
Heights- West  End  car  line. 

Army  Post  (Fort  Sam  Houston) — On  Government 
Hill;  Army  Post-San  Pedro  line. 

Brackenridge  Park — On  River  Avenue;  West  End- 
Alamo  Heights  car  line. 

Country  Club — On  edge  of  Alamo  Heights  and  the 
army  maneuver  grounds;  on  Cow  Street;  reached  by 
Alamo  Heights- West  End  car  line. 

City  Hall — On  Military  Plaza ;  reached  by  the  South 
Heights-Harlandale,  South  Flores-South  Heights,  Col- 
lins Gardens-Highland  Park,  and  S.  P.,  M.,  K.  &  T. 
and  I.  &  G.  N.  Railway  car  lines. 

—85— 


Cordero  Palace,  where  coats-of-arms  of  Spain  and 
Austria  are  blended  on  flat  arch  of  portal — on  west 
side  of  Military  Plaza;  reached  by  same  car  lines  as 
traverse  Military  Plaza,  above  mentioned. 

County  Court  House,  built  of  red  sandstone — On 
south  side  of  Main  Plaza;  reached  by  S.  P.,  M.,  K.  & 
T.  and  I.  &  G.  N.  Railway,  Hot  Wells,  South  Heights- 
South  Flores  and  Harlandale,  Collins  Garden  and 
Highland  Park  car  lines. 

Old  County  Court  House — On  Soledad  Street,  be- 
tween Commerce  and  Veramendi  Streets;  reached  by 
same  cars  as  new  Court  House;  is  near  where  Vera- 
mendi Palace  formerly  stood  and  also  close  to  old 
Garza  house,  recently  demolished  to  give  way  to  the 
Rand  Building. 

Old  Cupples  Home — Corner  of  Travis  and  Soledad 
Streets;  one  block  north  of  all  car  lines  and  directly 
on  Tobm-Hill  and  San  Pedro  lines. 

Old  Chavez  House — Corner  of  Obraje  and  North 
Flores  Streets ;  on  Beacon  Hill  line. 

Concepcion  Mission — On  Roosevelt  Avenue,  one-half 
mile  west  of  Hot  Wells  car  line;  reached  by  auto  or 
hack  and  sightseeing  autos. 

Bedell  Building — On  Avenue  C  near  Houston  Street, 
half  a  block  from  all  car  lines  on  Houston  Street  and 
directly  on  Army  Post-San  Pedro  and  Alamo  Heights- 
West  End  car  lines;  adjoins  Moore  Building,  and  is  its 
twin. 

Electric  Park — Adjoins  San  Pedro  Park;  reached  by 
San  Pedro  and  Beacon  Hill  car  lines. 

Exposition  Park  (formerly  Scheuermeyer's  Park)  — 
On  South  Presa  Street  and  South  Loop;  reached  by 
Hot  Wells  lines. 

Fair  Grounds,  adjoining  former  Riverside  Park, 
one-half  mile  below  Second  or  Concepcion  Mission; 
reached  by  Hot  Wells  car  line. 

Federal  Building  and  Postoffice  on  Alamo  Plaza, 
Avenues  D  and  E — Reached  by  Nolan  Street-Beacon 
Hill,  Tobin  Hill,  Aransas  Pass,  S.  P.,  M.,  K.  &  T.- 

—86— 


I.  &  G.  N.  Railway,  South  Heights,  South  Flores  and 
Harlandale,  Collins  Gardens-Highland  Park  street  car 
lines. 

Frost  Building — At  Southwest  corner  of  Houston 
Street  and  Main  Avenue;  reached  by  all  cars  on 
Houston  Street  except  Hot  Wells,  Tobin  Hill  and  San 
Pedro  lines. 

Gibbs  Building — Corner  Houston  Street,  Avenue  D 
and  Alamo  Plaza;  reached  by  same  cars  as  the  Fed- 
eral Building. 

Hicks  Building — Reached  by  all  cars  on  Houston 
Street  except  San  Fernando  and  Hot  Wells  lines. 

Espada  Mission — On  South  Loop,  eleven  miles  be- 
low city ;  reached  by  auto  or  carriage. 

Arsenal—On  South  Flores  Street;  reached  by  the 
South  Flores-South  Heights,  Harlandale,  Collins  Gar- 
dens-Highland Park  car  lines. 

Gunter  Hotel  and  Gunter  Office  Building — Houston 
and  St.  Mary's  Streets;  all  Houston  Street  car  lines 
except  San  Fernando. 

Bexar  Hotel — Houston  and  Jefferson  Streets;  all 
Houston  Street  car  lines  except  San  Fernando  and  Hot 
Wells  car  lines. 

Alamo  Hotel — On  Alamo  Plaza;  reached  by  all  car 
lines  traversing  Alamo  Plaza. 

Beethoven  Hall — On  South  Alamo  near  East  Nueva 
Street;  Tobin  Hill,  S.  A.  &  A.  P.,  and  Collins  Gardens- 
Highland  Park  car  lines. 

Grand  Opera  House — On  Alamo  Plaza  and  Crockett 
Street ;  reached  by  all  cars  traversing  Alamo  Plaza. 

Light  (newspaper) — Crockett  Street,  opposite  the 
Opera  House. 

Masonic  Temple — Comer  Crockett  and  Losoya;  half 
a  block  from  all  Alamo  Plaza  street  cars. 

Losoya  Hotel — Losoya  Street,  between  Crockett  and 
Commerce;  one  block  from  all  Alamo  Plaza  street 
car  lines. 

—87— 


Daily  Express  Building  (newspaper) — Corner  of 
Crockett  and  Navarro  Streets;  on  Hot  Wells  street 
car  line. 

Dullnig's  Hot  Wells— On  Goliad  Road,  eight  miles 
southeast  of  city;  fine  thermal  and  mineral  waters, 
petroleum  and  natural  gas  wells;  reached  by  auto  or 
carriage ;  is  two  miles  east  of  end  of  Hot  Wells  street 
car  line. 

Harlandale — On  Corpus  Christi  Road,  outside  of  the 
city  limits;  on  South  Flores-Harlandale  street  car 
line. 

Palm  Heights — Near  Collins  Gardens;  reached  by 
Collins  Gardens-Highland  Park  car  line;  outside  of  the 
city  limits. 

I.  &  G.  N.  Railway  Depot — On  Houston  and  Medina 
Streets;  on  West  End- Alamo  Heights  and  the  g.  P., 
M.,  K.  &  T.-I.  &  G.  N.  Railway  lines;  one  mile  west 
of  Main  Plaza. 

Stowers  and  Glower  Twin  Buildings — Corner  Hous- 
ton Street  and  Main  Avenue;  tallest  buildings  in  the 
city;  reached  by  all  car  lines  except  Hot  Wells  line. 

Rand  Building — Occupies  square  bounded  by  Hous- 
ton, Soledad,  Veramendi  Street  and  Main  Avenue; 
largest  building  in  city;  reached  by  every  car  line  in 
the  city. 

Book  Building — On  Houston  Street  and  the  San 
Antonio  River ;  reached  by  all  Houston  Street  car  lines 
except  San  Fernando  line. 

Menger  Hotel — On  Alamo  Plaza;  reached  by  all  the 
street  cars  traversing  Alamo  Plaza. 

Plaza  Theater — On  Alamo  Plaza,  in  Conroy  Build- 
ings; reached  by  all  Alamo  Plaza  car  lines. 

Joske  Bros.  Building — At  the  corner  of  South  Alamo 
and  Commerce  Streets;  reached  by  all  car  lines  tra- 
versing Alamo  Plaza  except  Nolan  Street  and  Beacon 
Hill  lines. 

Wolff  &  Marx  Store — Soon  to  be  removed  to  Rand 
Building;  at  present  on  South  Alamo  Street  near 

—88— 


Alamo  Plaza  and  Commerce  Street;  reached  by  all 
the  Alamo  Plaza  cars  except  Nolan  Street-Beacon  Hiil 
line. 

S.  Wolfson's  and  Washer  Bros.  Stores — At  the  cor- 
ner of  Commerce  and  South  Alamo  Streets;  reached 
by  all  cars  traversing  East  Commerce  and  South 
Alamo  Streets. 

Nic  Tengg's  Book  Store — West  Commerce  Street, 
between  Navarro  and  Corcoran  Streets ;  one-half  block 
from  Hot  Wells  line. 

San  Antonio  National  Bank,  Alamo  National  Bank, 
Groos  National  Bank  and  City  National  Bank — All  on 
West  Commerce  Street,  and  all  on  or  near  Hot  Wells 
car  line. 

Commercial  National  Bank — Corner  of  Soledad  and 
Commerce  Streets;  reached  by  all  cars  traversing  the 
east  side  of  Main  Plaza. 

Frost  National  Bank — Corner  of  Main  Plaza  and 
Trevino  Street ;  reached  by  all  car  lines  traversing  the 
west  side  of  Main  Plaza. 

Citizens'  Bank  and  Trust  Company — In  Gunter  Ho- 
tel Building  on  Houston  Street;  reached  by  all  Hous- 
ton Street  car  lines  except  San  Fernando  line. 

State  Bank  and  Trust  Company — Hicks  Building  on 
Houston  Street;  reached  by  all  Houston  Street  cars 
except  Hot  Wells  and  San  Fernando  lines. 

West  Texas  Bank  and  Trust  Company — In  Moore 
Building  on  Houston  Street;  reached  by  all  Houston 
Street  car  lines  except  San  Fernando  and  Hot  Wells. 

American  Bank  and  Trust  Company — On  Alamo 
Plaza  next  to  Opera  House;  reached  by  all  Alamo 
Plaza  car  lines  except  Nolan  Street-Beacon  Hill  line. 

Empire  Theater — Corner  of  St.  Mary's  and  Houston 
Streets ;  reached  by  all  cars  except  San  Fernando. 

Princess  Theater — Formerly  Orpheum;  all  Houston 
Street  car  lines  except  San  Fernando. 

Royal  Theater — Houston  Street  near  Empire  and 
opposite  Princess;  reached  by  all  Houston  Street  car 
lines  except  San  Fernando. 


Star  Theater — Houston  Street  near  Royal  Theater; 
reached  by  all  cars  except  San  Fernando. 

San  Fernando  Cathedral — Situated  on  west  side  of 
Main  Plaza  and  east  side  of  Military  Plaza,  north  side 
of  Trevino  and  south  side  of  Galvan  Streets;  reached 
by  all  cars  traversing  Main  Plaza. 

City  Market  House  and  Auditorium — On  Paschal 
Square  and  Milam  Square;  is  principal  convention  hall 
and  largest  market  in  the  city;  chile  stands  surround 
it,  and  hay  and  wood  are  marketed  on  square  west  of 
it;  reached  by  S.  P.,  M.,  K.  &  T.  and  I.  &  G.  N.  cars 
and  within  a  block  of  Alamo  Heights-West  End  line 
and  San  Fernando  line. 

S.  P.  and  M.,  K.  &  T.  Railway  Depot—On  East 
Commerce  and  Walnut  Streets;  is  union  station  of 
those  two  railways ;  reached  by  S.  P.,  M.,  K.  &  T.  and 
I.  &  G.  N.  Railway  car  line ;  is  a  very  large  and  hand- 
some station. 

S.  A.  &  A.  P.  Railway  Depot — On  Aransas  and 
South  Flores  Streets;  reached  by  Tobin  Hill- Aransas 
Pass  Railway  line,  Collins  Gardens-Highland  Park, 
South  Flores-South  Heights  and  Harlandale  car  lines. 

S.  A.,  U.  &  G.  Railway  Station— In  Palm  Heights; 
reached  by  Collins  Gardens-  Highland  Park  car  line. 

Swearingen  Building — At  the  corner  of  Alamo  Plaza 
and  Houston  Street;  reached  by  all  Houston  Street  car 
lines  except  San  Fernando  Street  line. 

Viaducts — There  are  three  of  these,  built  by  the 
Southern  Pacific  Railway  for  the  purpose  of  per- 
mitting traffic  to  pass  above  or  under  its  tracks;  the 
first  is  at  Nolan  and  Walnut  Streets,  and  permits 
traffic  to  pass  below  the  railway  tracks;  it  is  of  con- 
crete, resembling  a  tunnel;  it  is  traversed  by  the 
Nolan  Street-Beacon  Hill  cars. 

The  second  is  a  block  north  of  the  first  and  is  at 
Hays  and  Walnut  Streets,  traffic  passing  above  the 
railway  tracks;  this  is  a  very  high  bridge  and  is  of 
steel  and  concrete;  it  is  one  block  from  the  Nolan 
Street-Beacon  Hill  car  line. 

—90— 


The  other  viaduct  is  along  New  Braunfels  Avenue, 
and  extends  two  blocks  from  Sherman  to  Duval 
Street,  passing  above  the  repair  tracks  and  yard  of 
the  Southern  Pacific  Railway  at  a  great  height;  below 
it,  at  Olive  and  Duval  Streets,  is  a  smaller  viaduct 
passing  above  the  single  track  of  the  same  railway. 
The  nearest  car  line  to  any  of  these  two  viaducts  is 
the  Nolan  Street-Beacon  Hill  line  on  Pine  Street.  The 
one  on  New  Braunfels  Avenue  is  of  steel  and  concrete, 
and  that  on  Olive  Street  is  of  wood.  Good  views  of 
the  city  are  to  be  obtained  from  the  Hays  Street,  the 
New  Braunfels  Avenue  and  the  Olive  Street  viaducts, 
and  all  of  these  structures  are  well  worth  visiting. 


-—91— 


5TRLLT  CAR  DIRECTORY 


What  Electric  Cars  to 
take  to  reach  important 
and  interesting  points. 


TOURI5P5  HAND  BOOK 


STRLLT  CAR  DIRECTORY 


ROUTES  OP  STREET  RAILWAY  LINES. 

The  Army  Post  and  San  Pedro  lines  run  from  the  top 
of  Government  Hill  down  Grayson  to  Austin  Street, 
along  Austin  to  Tenth  Street.  Thence  to  Avenue  C  and 
along  the  avenue  to  Houston  Street.  It  goes  along  Hous- 
ton Street  to  Soledad  and  north  on  Soledad  to  Dallas, 
where  it  turns  west  and  goes  to  the  intersection  of  Main 
avenue  and  San  Pedro  Avenue.  Going  north,  it  goes 
along  San  Pedro  Avenue,  turns  east  and  goes  along  Lo- 
cust to  Main  avenue  and  north  along  Main  avenue  to 
Russell,  west  along  Russell  to  Howard  Street,  north 
along  Howard  to  Magnolia  and  west  along  Magnolia 
back  to  San  Pedro  Avenue,  down  San  Pedro  and  past 
San  Pedro  Park  to  Main  Avenue,  through  Main  Avenue 
back  to  Houston  Street,  east  along  Houston  Street  to 
Avenue  C,  north  along  Avenue  C  to  Tenth,  east  on 
Tenth  to  Austin,  north  on  Austin  to  Mason,  east  on 
Mason  to  New  Braunfels  and  north  up  New  Braunfels 
to  Grayson. 

The  Alamo  Heights-West  End  car  line  starts  at 
West  End  on  Indiana  Street;  runs  along  that  street 
and  along  the  the  edge  of  the  West  End  Lake  to  Ban- 
dera; north  up  to  the  end  of  Bandera  Street;  then 
back  south  along  Bandera  Street  to  Ruiz  Street;  east 
on  Ruiz  Street  to  Medina  Street;  south  on  Medina  to 
Houston  Street;  east  on  Houston  Street  to  Avenue  C; 
north  on  Avenue  C  into  River  Avenue ;  north  on  River 
Avenue  into  Broadway,  and  around  the  loop  on  Alamo 
Heights  back  to  River  Avenue,  and  thence  back  over 
the  same  route  as  mentioned. 

The  Nolan  Street  and  Beacon  Hill  line  commences 
at  the  intersection  of  Pine  and  Mason  Streets;  runs 

—94— 


south  along  Pine  to  Nolan  Street;  east  along  Nolan 
into  Nacogdoches;  south  along  Nacogdoches  to  Hous- 
ton Street;  west  along  Houston  to  North  Flores 
Street;  north  up  North  Flores  Street  to  Summit  Ave- 
nue; west  along  Summit  to  Grant;  south  on  Grant  to 
the  Fredericksburg  Road;  thence  back  to  North 
Flores;  south  on  North  Flores  to  Loustenau  Alley; 
through  this  alley  to  Main  Avenue,  and  south  on  Main 
Avenue  to  Houston  Street,  and  back  over  Houston 
Street  over  the  previously  described  route. 

The  Tobin  Hill  line  commences  on  the  edge  of  the 
rock  quarries  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city  at  Hill- 
crest  ;  runs  in  King's  Court  to  Jones  Avenue ;  through 
Jones  Avenue  to  Kendall  Street;  thence  west  and 
north  to  Locust  Street;  west  along  Locust  to  Mc- 
Culloch;  south  on  McCulloch  to  Brooklyn;  south  on 
Brooklyn  to  Camden ;  west  along  Camden  to  San  Pedro 
Avenue  into  Main  Avenue;  south  along  Main  Avenue 
to  Houston;  east  along  Houston  to  South  Alamo; 
south  along  Alamo,  and  southwest  along  South  Alamo 
Street  to  Aransas  Street,  and  out  Aransas  Street  to  San 
Antonio  &  Aransas  Pass  Railway  depot;  returning,  it 
goes  over  Aransas,  South  Alamo  and  Houston  Streets 
back^to  Soledad  Street;  north  along  Soledad  to  Dallas 
Street;  thence  east  to  Brooklyn,  and  over  Brooklyn  to 
McCulloch  and  Locust  Streets  and  back  to  King's 
Court  and  Hillcrest  over  the  first-named  portion  of 
this  route. 

The  San  Fernando  route  commences  at  the  inter- 
section of  Houston  and  Main  Avenue;  runs  west  to 
Pecos  Street;  south  along  South  Pecos  Street  to  South 
Laredo;  thence  to  Paral;  along  Paral  to  Apache  and 
to  end  of  line  at  Union  Stock  Yards;  it  returns  over 
the  same  route. 

The  Summit  line  connects  with  the  San  Pedro-Army 
Post  line  at  Howard  and  Huisache  Streets,  and  runs 
north  and  south  out  Howard  Street  to  King's  High- 
way; across  Summit  Avenue,  and  back  over  the  same 
route. 

—95— 


The  San  Jose  line  is  an  independent  line,  connect- 
ing with  the  South  Flores  and  Harlandale  line  on 
South  Flores  Street  and  Corpus  Christi  Road;  runs 
west  from  Corpus  Christi  Road  and  connects  with 
a  hack  line  to  Terrell's  Wells. 

The  Harlandale-South  Heights  line  commences  in 
Harlandale  on  the  Corpus  Christi  Road;  runs  north 
along  that  road  and  over  the  Arroya  Piedra  into 
South  Flores  Street  in  Beanville;  thence  north  up 
South  Flores  Street  to  Military  Plaza,  turning  east 
at  Dolorosa  Street  into  Main  Plaza  and  around  the 
north  and  east  sides  of  Main  Plaza  into  Soledad 
Street;  thence  north  to  Houston  Street;  east  along 
Houston  Street  to  Alamo  Plaza  and  South  Alamo 
Street;  south  to  Goliad  Street;  east  along  Goliad 
Street  to  Peach  Street;  along  Peach  to  Victoria  Street; 
thence  east  to  Hackberry,  to  Aransas  Avenue;  north 
on  Aransas  to  Porter  Street,  and  thence  on  Gervers 
Street  to  the  end  of  the  line ;  and  back  over  the  same 
route. 

The  Harlandale-South  Heights  line  connects  at 
Gervers  Street  with  the  East  End  line,  which  runs 
around  a  loop  from  the  intersection  with  the  South 
Heights  line  and  along  New  Braunfels  Avenue,  Dil- 
worth  Avenue,  Iowa  Street,  Walters  Street  and  North 
Commerce  Street,  where  it  connects  with  the  Southern 
Pacific,  M.,  K.  &  T.  and  I.  &  G.  N.  railway  line. 

The  Southern  Pacific  and  M.,  K.  &  T.  depots  and 
I.  &  G.  N.  depot  lines  run  from  the  intersection  of 
New  Braunfels  and  East  Commerce  Streets  west 
along  Commerce  to  South  Alamo  Street;  east  along 
Alamo  Street  and  Alamo  Plaza  into  Houston  Street; 
west  along  Houston  Street  to  Main  Avenue;  south  on 
Main  Avenue  across  the  west  side  of  Main  Plaza  to 
Dolorosa  Street;  west  along  Dolorosa  Street  to  Buena 
Vista  Street;  west  along  Buena  Vista  Street  to  San 
Saba  Street;  thence  north  to  West  Commerce  Street, 
and  out  West  Commerce  Street  to  the  end  of  the  line 
on  Prospect  Hill ;  back  again  over  the  same  route. 

—96— 


In  Lakeview  this  line  connects  with  the  Lakeview 
line,  which  makes  a  loop  commencing  at  West  Twen- 
tieth, running  to  Delgado  and  thence  to  Twenty-fourth 
and  back  to  Commerce  Street. 

On  Beacon  Hill  the  Los  Angeles  Heights  connects 
at  Grant  Avenue  and  Summit  with  the  Beacon  Hill 
line  and  runs  north  on  Grant  to  North,  and  thence  to 
Capitol  Street,  and  thence  to  the  end  of  the  line;  re- 
turning over  the  same  route. 

The  Highland  Park-Collins  Gardens  line  commences 
in  Collins  Gardens  at  St.  Elmo  Street;  runs  north 
along  St.  Elmo  to  Marian  Street  to  the  right  of  way 
of  the  San  Antonio,  Uvalde  &  Gulf  Railway,  and 
thence  to  the  depot  of  that  railway;  thence  along  the 
right-of-way  of  that  railway  to  Nogalitos  Street,  and 
thence  into  South  Flores  Street;  north  along  South 
Flores  Street  to  Dolorosa;  east  on  Dolorosa  and 
through  Main  Plaza  and  along  the  east  side  of  that 
plaza  into  Soledad  Street;  north  along  Soledad  Street 
into  Houston  Street;  east  along  Houston  Street  to 
South  Garden  Street;  thence  out  Pereida  Street  to 
South  Presa  Street,  and  south  along  South  Presa  to 
Buckingham  Avenue;  thence  to  Hackberry;  along 
Hackberry  to  Rigsby  and  Rigsby  to  Olive,  and  thence 
to  Walters,  and  out  Walters  to  the  end  of  the  line; 
returning,  goes  over  the  same  route. 

The  Hot  Wells  line  commences  at  Houston  and  Na- 
varro  Streets;  runs  south  along  Navarro  across  the 
San  Antonio  River  at  Crockett  and  Navarro  Streets 
and  again  at  Market  and  Villita  Streets,  where  it 
goes  into  Garden  Street;  and  south  on  Garden  Street 
to  Pereida  Street,  where  it  goes  into  South  Presa 
Street,  and  south  on  South  Presa  to  the  end  of  the 
line  at  Exposition  Park,  Hot  Wells  and  Southwestern 
Insane  Asylum,  where  it  makes  a  loop  and  returns 
into  South  Presa  Street.  Coming  back,  it  traverses 
this  street  to  Pereida,  thence  to  Garden;  north  along 
Garden  to  East  Nueva  Street,  crossing  the  San  An- 
tonio River  at  Nueva  Street,  and  coming  into  Dwyer 

—97- 


Avenue;  going  north  along  Dwyer  Avenue,  the  east 
side  of  Main  Plaza  into  Soledad  Street,  it  returns  to 
Houston  Street  and  thence  back  to  Navarro  and  Hous- 
ton Streets. 

All  car  lines  run  along  Houston  Street,  which  is  the 
main  thoroughfare  of  the  city,  and  on  which  many 
of  the  tall  and  fine  buildings  of  the  city  are  located. 


—98— 


